Liverpool: Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho to the rescue

Anything is possible for 90 minutes. This could be Liverpool’s motto at the end of the season. Since the victory at St Mary’s Stadium (1-2) by the 37^Y English top flight day Reds they cling as best they can to this maxim without really looking… But rightly so. Because by coming back to a small point from the band in Guardiola, the soldiers of the red wave kept their hopes of the supreme title during the final stage of the championship this Sunday. And even if the chances of being crowned are slim, the scousers they cling to the idea that familiar old faces can propel Aston Villa to rousing success at the Etihad Stadium. How could Steven Gerrard’s band, led by Philippe Coutinho, succeed?

Coutinho’s revenge

The rules of the game are simple: to give priority to Manchester City, Liverpool must beat Wolverhampton and at the same time see the The citizens bump up against villains. Problem, and no less important, the Birmingham team has gone eight games without scoring a point against the blue and white ogre (a draw, in November 2015). A concern to which another limitation is added, that of rest time. In fact, Lucas Digne’s teammates only have three short days of recovery in their legs, after receiving Burnley (1-1). Against seven, in total, for Manchester. But two elements could still tip the scales the other way. The first, great, is called Coutinho. Villa Park’s star player since January 7 on loan and recently acquired from FC Barcelona, ​​​​the Brazilian has a rosary of precious specimens under his burgundy and blue tunic. Involved in almost a third of the goals since his arrival, the midfielder has already become the engine of Gerrard’s machine.

If his return to the kingdom goes well, it’s a safe bet that the one who has worn the red robe 201 times will quickly find his marks against one of his favorite victims. In seven games against Manchester City, the South American magician has found the net five times and provided one assist. Figures that look great, suggesting that the first wrench in the German tactician’s gear could be decisive and mark the best moment of the Klopp era. To fond memories of his best years at the Mersey Red Club. Sad to see him take the road to Catalonia in the winter of 2018, the a normal one So he had asked his protégé to stay home. “The fans will eventually build a statue in your honor, and when you go somewhere else, you’ll just be another player. But here you can be something else. had given Klopp to his jewel, according to the details of theIndependent. Putting on the hero suit and sending Liverpool to the roof of England would therefore be a great revenge for the 29-year-old Brazilian, who had greatly disappointed the team’s fans. Reds more than four years ago.

gerard’s revenge

For Stevie G, the second drawing element of the red dream after Coutinho, this Sunday resonates as the perfect opportunity to externalize his demons and forget a sadly iconic slip one afternoon in April 2014. In this context, can he miss this opportunity? Guest on the podcast High performance Two years ago, one of Liverpool’s most capped players said the unfortunate turnover against Chelsea was a “brutal and cruel moment” in their life: “I kept it in the back of my mind, but it keeps coming back. » Beating up Manchester City to allow his team to always win the Grail – which is also missing from his record, after thirteen seasons with Liverpool – would undoubtedly be one of the most beautiful moments of his coaching career.

But then how to beat the Giant City? To tell the truth, he was about to do it in his first and only face-to-face against Pep Guardiola’s men on 1^Ahem December 2021 (1-2). After dominating the game in the first act, the The citizens He quickly drank the broth from the locker room. Led by two goals, Gerrard’s men had reduced distances with a good combination for the corner. And without a Dantesque parade from Ederson fifteen minutes from the final whistle, Gerrard would have made it. That day, the visitors had scored six times in the second half against four shots from the locals (two on target each). Proof that Guardiola has the means to lose his hair at the end of the weekend. “Hopefully he can do us a favor at City. I’m sure I’ll call him, by the way.” , explained Jordan Henderson, who shared the green rectangle with Gerrard 142 times, after the victory in Southampton, at the Sky Sports microphone. Facing the media, the interested rector assured that his team “will make it as difficult as possible for Manchester to make their fans proud” . With a motivation that doesn’t say his name…

By Mateo Darbas