Liverpool’s abnormally poor run of form in recent weeks resulted in their credentials to retain the Premier League title fade away, as they trailed leaders Manchester City by 16 points at the start of the match week.
The Merseyside outfit’s poor form has coincided with a season where they were not spurred on by the intimidating Anfield support – belting out chants to push their team to success.
The Kop end has not heard the sounds of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” sung by the numbers all season, but it displayed a fantastic new banner including words from a famous Liverpool chant (The Reds are coming up the hill) when their city rivals Everton crossed Stanley Park into enemy territory in the two sides’ Premier League clash tonight.
The banner featured an illustration of under-fire head coach Jurgen Klopp, accompanied by the words “They all laugh at us, they all mock at us” and “they all say our days are numbered.”
The banner also featured all four of the major trophies that the German manager has helped them win in his five-year-long tenure at the club so far – a UEFA Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup title, a FIFA Club World Cup title and the long-elusive Premier League title.
The defending champions of England have been subjected to a lot of mockery and banter by their rival supporters due to their woeful form of late, as Liverpool’s detractors have already called an end to their dominance in English football – some reports have even gone on to suggest that Klopp’s days at the club might be numbered.
The intentions behind the banner were to make a statement towards the club’s detractors and help the players be motivated for a historically high-voltage derby, but it was not to be their day again – it was Everton who ended up winning the match 2-0.
Goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson on either side of half time ensured all three points for Everton, as Liverpool succumbed to their fourth defeat in five games.
Liverpool’s woes continue as they are now level on points with their Merseyside rivals – but Carlo Ancelotti’s side have a game in hand. Klopp’s defence of the league title took another punch to the gut, as the banner – though a fantastic one – was not enough to help them come back to winning ways.