Liverpool win feels like a loss as City clinch title

Liverpool beat Newcastle United but it felt like a defeat as it wasn’t enough to clinch the title on a disappointing final day of the season.

The Reds did what they had to do at Anfield, beating nine-man Newcastle 2-1 thanks to two almost identical goals from Agger and Sturridge, but things didn’t go their way at the Etihad, where Manchester City never looked like slipping up at home to West Ham. Requiring only a point to claim their second title in three seasons, the Blues beat the Hammers thanks to goals from Nasri and Kompany, allowing the latter to lift the Premier League trophy aloft on full time.

Following Monday night’s crushing capitulation away to Crystal Palace, where Liverpool let a three-goal lead slip, the players seemed deflated. While the fans still believed that the miraculous could happen, as evidenced by the brilliant atmosphere they created yet again, the players clearly didn’t, and it showed in their first half performance.

Lacklustre and pedestrian, Liverpool lacked the sharpness, pace and energy that had previously been so characteristic of their performances during the opening stages of matches. Surprisingly, despite their awful second half of the season and the fact that they had nothing to play for, Newcastle came back off the beach to put in a decent first half performance and they were arguably the better team in the first 45 minutes.

Their five man defence successfully frustrated the Reds’ attack and they even managed to bag a goal in front of the Kop thanks to some shoddy defending from Skrtel, who inadvertently sliced Gouffran’s cross past his keeper to score his fourth own goal of the season. Coming only moments after Phil Dowd had ruled out Suarez’s superb lofted effort from an intelligent quick free kick because the ball was still moving, it made me feel that it just wasn’t going to be the Merseysiders’ day.

Suarez's ingenious improvisation went unrewarded 

Thankfully, Mignolet made a crucial save from Gouffran soon after to spare the Reds’ blushes, the Belgian keeper blocking the French winger’s effort after he’d sped through on goal. Liverpool came back into the match during the closing stages of the first half, Suarez shooting straight at Krul after shimmying into space impressively and Sturridge agonisingly sending a header off target from close range when he really should have turned Henderson’s cross home.

News from the Etihad wasn’t encouraging, though, as Nasri gave City the lead five minutes before the break and it could have been worse, as the last act of the half saw Silva’s shot deflect onto the bar off the foot of former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.

It was only a matter of time, however, before news came through of a second goal for City and Liverpool’s title hopes all but ended. Four minutes into the second half Kompany put City two up and, as a result, the game at Anfield became very much an end of season encounter with little but pride to play for.

The least Liverpool could do, though, was beat Newcastle so that they could say they did all they could to win the title on the final day of the season. Thankfully, that’s what the Reds did, as they stepped up a gear while the Barcodes hit the self-destruct button.

Just after the hour mark, Gerrard swung a free kick into the back post, where Agger athletically met it to turn the ball home and equalise in front of the Kop on his first start since the 4-0 win over Spurs at the end of March.

It was good to see Agger get on the score sheet

Sturridge thanks God for his 24th goal of a remarkable season

The Reds then produced a carbon copy of that goal to take the lead only two minutes later, Gerrard lofting another free kick into the far post, where this time Sturridge was to nudge home from close range.

As Liverpool finally sparked into life, Newcastle capitulated, Shola Ameobi somehow being shown a yellow card twice in a matter of seconds for dissent as he was bizarrely sent off before the restart. Substitute Paul Dummett then got himself sent off only six minutes after coming on, although his foul challenge on Suarez arguably only warranted a booking.

The last act of note during the closing stages in which the match petered out came when Sterling tucked the ball into the net after Lucas’ drive goalwards was blocked and the ball fell favourably for the youngster. However, he could have no complaints about his effort being chalked off for offside.

At the end of the day, Liverpool could have no complaints about missing out on the title and only finishing second. When you defend as poorly as they did in the big matches and concede 50 goals over the course of the season, you don’t deserve to win the title. Arab oil money may well be a large part of the explanation of City’s title success, but they deserve the title because they’ve emerged from a gruelling 38-game season with the most points.

On the positive side, to finish on 84 points and score 101 League goals is a massive achievement, particularly when you compare it to the Reds’ seventh placed finish last season. In addition, Liverpool are clearly at least a year ahead of schedule in terms of their progress under Brendan Rodgers and have Champions League football back at Anfield to look forward to in the 2014/2015 campaign.

This man has made us believe great times are on the way back to Anfield

Roll on next season!

YNWA