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The recently concluded 2020-21 Premier League season was not short on drama, especially in the case of Liverpool. There were highs, lows, and everything in between during this roller-coaster of a campaign.
It was the first time Liverpool had entered a Premier League season as Champions. But the past nine months were so far removed from The Reds' title-winning surge in 2019-20. This season represented some of the worst luck a top team has ever faced, bringing about some unprecedented challenges.
Additionally, most of the season played out without fans in stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This carried forward from the previous season too, as Jurgen Klopp and his boys were not able to celebrate their monumental title win with the fans.
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Regardless, this season ended up being salvaged. But how did The Reds go from Premier League Champions to being content with a top four finish? Let's take a look at the draining season they had to endure.
Here is a review of the insanity that was Liverpool's 2020-21 Premier League campaign, broken down into six stages.
#1 A good start before disaster strikes (twice) for Liverpool
This season began with the utmost optimism, with Liverpool aiming to retain their Premier League crown. They looked good value for it too. The Reds enjoyed a perfect start after winning the first three games of the season.
The opening day saw Mohamed Salah score a hat-trick to ensure victory over a spirited Leeds United in their first game back in the top flight after 16 years away. The 4-3 win was a sign of the turbulence that was to come for Liverpool. They did coast to strong victories over Chelsea and Arsenal next, though.
Sadio Mane showed some early season form, with three goals from those two games. Meanwhile, the signings of Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota further lifted the spirits at Anfield. The latter got off to the perfect start as he netted in the 3-1 win over Arsenal. Nobody could have predicted what came next.
Liverpool suffered a freakish 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa, with their high defensive line being punished to no end. A couple of key absentees proved crucial, but that was barely the start of an incredibly troubled season in that respect.
The Reds' capitulation at Villa Park seemed nothing more than an anomaly, but their next game would have a lasting effect on the season. The Merseyside derby at Goodison Park saw Virgil van Dijk injure his knee following a poor challenge from Jordan Pickford. That was the end of the Dutchman's season.
Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw with Everton that day. A last-gasp Jordan Henderson winner was ruled out for a debatable offside by VAR. Thiago was also injured during the derby. However, van Dijk's injury would prove pivotal over the next seven months. His influence and control were irreplaceable.
#2 Liverpool adapt well after Virgil van Dijk's injury
Despite losing their star man for the rest of the season, Liverpool battled on.
They initially managed to get by, with tight 2-1 victories against Sheffield United and West Ham United at Anfield. Diogo Jota was proving to be a smash-hit, coming on to score winners in both those games. The former Wolves man also got a Champions League hat-trick away to Atalanta in November.
Liverpool's toughest challenge of the month came against Manchester City. A lively first half was offset by a conservative second, as the supposed title rivals ended level with each other. A 1-1 draw was the fair result at the Etihad Stadium, even if Kevin De Bruyne missed a penalty.
Fabinho stepped in at center-back alongside Joe Gomez, who seemingly had a huge campaign ahead of him. However, the Englishman suffered his own season-ending knee injury a month after Virgil van Dijk went down. It was a terribly unfortunate situation.
Liverpool looked unfazed by it and proceeded to demolish Leicester City 3-0 in a smooth display. Jota got another goal, proving his worth up top for The Reds. However, Thiago would have to wait to make an impact for his new club as he spent over two months on the sidelines following his injury at Everton.
They were, however, pegged back by Brighton the following week. Another controversial VAR call at the death cost Jurgen Klopp's side the victory. With van Dijk and Gomez out, Liverpool had to rely on the injury-prone Joel Matip to remain fit before potentially signing some defensive reinforcements in January.
#3 2020 ends with Liverpool on top
The temporary return of fans in stadiums gave Liverpool a lift, as they defeated Wolves 4-0 in their first game in front of a crowd as Premier League Champions. However, the contrast continued as The Reds struggled on their travels again. This time, it was Fulham who gained a point off Jurgen Klopp's men.
However, Liverpool quickly seized control of the Premier League "title race" with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield. The Kop celebrated as Roberto Firmino scored a last-minute header to earn the points for The Reds.
They followed this up with a ruthless 7-0 thumping of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Firmino scored a brace, while Mohamed Salah also got two. For the third season in a row, Liverpool spent Christmas top of the table. With their away form looking up again, could anybody beat The Reds to the title?
Well, this was where things started to go wrong. With the injuries piling up, Klopp had a lack of options. Diogo Jota would miss three months, while Joel Matip was eventually ruled out for the rest of the season. Those who played barely got any rest. It may have contributed to a few sluggish displays.
Liverpool may have ended 2020 on top, but the lead wouldn't last much longer. Draws against West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United over the Christmas period seemed like a blip at the time, but they were merely the tip of the iceberg.
Furthermore, the lockdown in the United Kingdom meant that fans once again couldn't attend games. The storm carried on.
#4 A fall from grace unlike any other: Liverpool lose six straight home games
The turn of the year brought about even more pain for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp was forced to field a center-back pairing of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, effectively stifling his side's midfield.
As a result, Thiago Alcantara was initially unable to settle at Anfield. There isn't much he could do as a pivot, alongside an overworked Gini Wijnaldum and an inexperienced Curtis Jones. Through no fault of their own, this midfield three essentially killed Liverpool's hopes of retaining the Premier League title.
The Reds failed to score against Southampton, Manchester United, and Burnley. The latter ended their incredible 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield in the Premier League. This crisis in confidence was coupled with heartbreaking personal tragedies for Klopp and Alisson Becker.
A couple of solid 3-1 victories at West Ham United and Tottenham were nullified by the 1-0 home defeat to Brighton. This was followed by a thrashing at the hands of runaway leaders Manchester City. Their 4-1 victory was their first at Anfield since emerging as contenders around 12 years ago.
Late January signing Ozan Kabak endured a forgettable debut, as a mix-up between him and Alisson contributed to a 3-1 defeat to Leicester City despite leading with just over 10 minutes to go.
Liverpool then suffered further humiliation, this time losing 2-0 at home to Everton. It was their first derby defeat in over a decade and their first one at home since 1999. To add insult to injury, Henderson would be ruled out for the season. The Reds' season had capitulated, with the top four also seeming unattainable.
A win over the bottom team Sheffield United was followed by consecutive 1-0 home defeats to Chelsea and Fulham. Both of those displays were lifeless and indicative of a team devoid of desire and quality.
After making Anfield a fortress for the better part of four years, Liverpool had lost six consecutive home games. The Reds did not score an open-play goal at Anfield in over 12 hours of football. This nightmare run seemingly had no end, with the limited options and complete loss of form.
Liverpool were eighth in the table and 10 points behind Leicester, in third.
#5 Liverpool start the healing process after two and a half months of hurt
With their hopes of finishing in the Champions League places hanging by a thread, Liverpool required absolute perfection in the final 10 games of the season.
A variety of victories in the league gave The Reds some belief. A scrappy 1-0 win over Wolves was followed by a dominant display at the Emirates Stadium, as Liverpool beat Arsenal 3-0. However, defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final ended any hopes of European glory.
In between the two legs, Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a last-minute winner against Aston Villa to finally end the Anfield drought. The 2-1 victory was by no means a reversal of that 7-2 thrashing from October, but it would prove to be crucial in the context of Liverpool's season.
A common theme in these victories was the role Fabinho played in midfield. Jurgen Klopp placed him back in his preferred position, which in turn allowed Thiago Alcantara to play his natural game. The Spaniard quickly showed his immense class.
The German manager entrusted Nathaniel Phillips in the defense, alongside the ever-improving Ozan Kabak. However, Liverpool's chances suffered a severe blow.
Failure to close out games cost The Reds big, as they conceded late equalizers against Leeds and Newcastle. Both games ended 1-1, which seemed to be curtains for their top four hopes. In a season dominated by defensive injuries, debilitating fatigue, and poor finishing, it just wasn't to be.
Or was it?
#6 A perfect run-in ensures Liverpool's season is salvaged
Jurgen Klopp said that finishing in the top four this season would be one of his greatest achievements in football. After the season Liverpool had endured, he was not wrong. The Reds needed to win pretty much all their games in May to stand a chance. An unlikely feat given the circumstances of their previous two draws.
Additionally, 20-year-old Rhys Williams was called upon after Ozan Kabak became the fourth Liverpool center-back to be ruled out for the season. They needed absolute perfection, with a depleted core.
A 2-0 win over Southampton started May off nicely before The Reds traveled to Old Trafford. A place Klopp had never won at. What a time for that to change. A late Mohamed Salah goal sealed a famous 4-2 victory. That wasn't even the most dramatic moment of the week.
With Liverpool needing a hero from a corner in the dying seconds of their game at West Brom, up stepped Alisson Becker to head home and win his team three priceless points. It was the most bizarre moment of the most bizarre season, as the goalkeeper kept The Reds alive in the race for Champions League football.
From that point, it was smooth sailing. Liverpool eased past Burnley, before a routine 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in front of the returning Anfield faithful ensured a third place finish. The run-in simply showed just how much fight Jurgen Klopp and his boys have in them.
They proved their worth as the "mentality monsters" the German described them as. Liverpool ended the season on a massive high, coming out from a period of crippling adversity and standing tall. Their team spirit shone through at the end, everybody played their hearts out.
Liverpool's 2020-21 campaign did not go as planned - it ended trophyless. But third place is as good as it gets if you spend most of the season without your three first-choice center-backs. Phillips and Williams' battle-scars are representative of what the team has gone through on the road to next season's Champions League.
Liverpool's standout player this season was Salah. He was the sole inspiration in attack, with Mane and Firmino dramatically losing form midway through. Fabinho played a massive role, while Thiago and Alexander-Arnold enjoyed a great final stretch. Robertson and Wijnaldum were ever-constants during such a draining campaign.
With 2020-21 done and dusted, Liverpool can focus on the following campaign. One that will surely not see the same bad luck with injuries. Klopp knows what areas require strengthening. With a revitalized current crop, along with a couple of new additions, The Reds can be a force once again next season.
At the end of a storm is a golden sky. Better days lie ahead.
