In a heartfelt send-off for Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp after a tenure of eight and a half years, the Reds claimed a 2-0 victory against a Wolves team reduced to 10 men. Klopp, dressed in black for his 491st and last match, was given a celebratory farewell despite the emotional undertones.
The manager’s era was remembered by the crowd with the revival of old fan songs mentioning former Liverpool legends such as Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, and Divock Origi. In a fitting tribute, the scorers of the night were two of Liverpool’s future talents, Alexis Mac Allister and young defender Jarell Quansah, signed last summer and scoring after Nélson Semedo’s dismissal.
The next chapter for Liverpool is rife with the unknown as Klopp’s key coaching staff will also depart, and ageing stars like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are nearing the end of their contracts. There’s a significant task for incoming manager from Feyenoord, Arne Slot. However, he’s inheriting a strong team that would have been a serious contender for the championship if not for a minor setback in April.
Klopp’s legacy will remain intact with several significant records, including an unmatched home league unbeaten run of three years and 272 days from 2017 to 2021, and seven major trophies. Klopp writes, “We aimed for the moon this season and ended up among the stars. This club is eager for a fresh and thrilling journey, not the end of one.”
The match, though fairly uneventful at first, took a turn at the 28th minute when Semedo was given a red card for a severe tackle on Mac Allister upon the advice of VAR David Coote to Referee Chris Kavanagh.
Wolves are urging fellow Premier League teams to vote for the scrapping of VAR come the summer, though regarding the recent incident, there could be few complaints. Mac Allister retaliated six minutes after, towering over centre backs Santiago Bueno and Max Kilman to nod in Harvey Elliott’s incoming cross. Josef Sa managed to deflect Wataru Endo’s strike causing Alexander-Arnold to take the corner, and Cody Gakpo lightly touched the ball, sending it to Salah at the far post whose shot bounced off Bueno, giving Quansah the opportunity to tap the ball in from the goal line. There was no assessment after Van Dijk shoulder-barged Matheus Cunha, much to the dismay of the Wolves. Klopp departs holding the most remarkable victory rate (62 per cent) for any Liverpool manager who has supervised over 30 games, and the first since Matt McQueen in 1928 to clinch a win in his final match. However, the fans are likely to reminisce more about the poignant experiences than the triumphs and data. The entire stadium, including owners John W Henry and Tom Werner, stood to cheer as Klopp’s name was sung without cease during the closing 10 minutes of his era. – Guardian