Anfield was bathed in spring sunshine as Liverpool swept aside ten-man Wolves to end Jurgen Klopp’s glorious Liverpool tenure in victory. First-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah gave Liverpool a season total of 82 points, as the German bid farewell to an adoring crowd, who sang his name throughout.
Dominating early proceedings, it was Harvey Elliot who provided the cross, for World Cup winner Mac Allister, to glance a header into the corner of the net. With Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz running amok down the left, further goals looked inevitable. However, as has been Liverpool’s want this season, good opportunities for further goals were squandered, even with Wolves struggling to get out of their own half.
The crowd, boisterous from the outset, were rightly more concerned with providing Klopp with a worthy send off, the game and the outcome almost incidental. After all, neither Liverpool nor Wolves had anything to play for, other than pride. That however, didn’t preclude some hefty challenges being made and, midway through the first half, one such challenge reduced the visitors to ten men. Semedo was dismissed, ironically from a Wolves perspective, after a VAR review determined the challenge was deemed worthy of more than the initial yellow card.
Already enjoying the lion’s share of possession, Liverpool took total control, and it was Klopp protege Quansah who struck. He could barely miss, being presented with a chance just inches from the goal line at the Anfield Road end. Having netted versus Villa on Monday, the young centre half now has his first league goal at Anfield.
With Klopp continuing to be serenaded by the crowd as the second half began, an avalanche of goals in front of an adoring Kop looked a real possibility. Yet in keeping with how the season has progressed, particularly since Christmas, chance after chance were wasted. Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gapko were all guilty of falling over their own feet, taking too many touches, or simply making the wrong pass.
Of course, on this occassional, nobody much cared, though Klopp, beaming throughout, would no doubt have savoured one last goal in front of the world-famous stand. It was not to be and, though Wolves showed a little more bite on the counter-attack in the second half, the destination of the points was never in doubt.
So the glorious reign of the charismatic German, who announced himself as the ‘normal one’, comes to an end. Having taken us all to the promised land of Premier League triumph, along with once more seeing Liverpool crowned Champions of Europe, his achievements are beyond impressive. Yet mere statistics barely scratch the surface of his accomplishments at Liverpool.
Nobody since Bill Shankly, quite ‘got it’ like Klopp. Nobody since Shankly had that instant, deep, visceral emotional attachment to the supporters, or to his players. At times, the football was breathtaking, truly ‘heavy metal’. At times, it was hectic, thunderous, and mesmeric, as was he. That smile, that fist pump, displaying his heart on his sleeve. To Klopp, rather like us, it simply meant more.
