LIVERPOOL, UK: There’s a word Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has used a few times when he talks about the upcoming Premier League season.
Fire.
His players? “You can see the fire in their eyes.”
Klopp himself? “I’m on fire.”
It’s what having a bad season — no trophy and a fifth-place finish in the league — does to a big club. It shakes people, invigorates them.
That’s certainly the case with Liverpool amid its first major overhaul in Klopp’s nearly eight years at Anfield.
Get ready for Liverpool 2.0 under Klopp after an offseason of big change.
There’s a completely new midfield. A much-changed forward line (still, though, containing Mohamed Salah). The repositioning of right back Trent Alexander-Arnold as a hybrid defender-midfielder. There’s even a new captain, in Virgil van Dijk.
The question, now, is how quickly Klopp can bring this new Liverpool together. Can the Reds once again become Manchester City’s biggest threat in the Premier League?
“We try to raise the bar again and again and again,” Klopp said. “For that, you need to make changes and we have obviously made now a lot of changes. That opens the door for a lot of other players.”
The overhaul has been coming for a while because of the way Liverpool had neglected to refresh a midfield that once was the team’s heartbeat, only to quickly become their shortcoming.
Out, first, went James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita because their contracts expired. Then, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho went to the Saudi Pro League.
In has come Alexis Mac Allister, Argentina’s World Cup winner from Brighton, and Dominik Szoboszlai, the captain of Hungary and a star of the Bundesliga at Leipzig. Klopp also wants — and needs — a defensive midfielder and three bids for Romeo Lavia, who plays for relegated Southampton, have reportedly been rejected so far.
Up front, only Salah remains from that devastating front three which led Liverpool to the Champions League in 2019 and a first English league title in 30 years in 2020. Sadio Mane left last year, and Roberto Firmino departed — also for Saudi Arabia — this offseason when his contract at Liverpool expired.
Klopp used to field the same front three nearly every match. Now he has a selection headache with four players — Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez — competing for two spots alongside Salah.
Meanwhile, there are also changes at the back, with Alexander-Arnold undergoing a positional switch at the end of last season which Klopp is likely to persevere with. Alexander-Arnold now uses his fine passing range from a deep midfield role, while reverting to right back when Liverpool doesn’t have the ball.
In Henderson’s absence, Van Dijk has taken the armband and Alexander-Arnold is vice-captain.
It’s quite the turnover as Klopp heads into his eighth full season in charge of Liverpool with the club having spent more than 100 million pounds ($130 million) on new signings in a single transfer window for the first time since 2018.
Klopp said he still feels that tingle of excitement about what’s around the corner, especially because he is desperate to make up for last season when Liverpool didn't even qualify for the Champions League.
In the 2021-22 season, remember, the Reds narrowly fell short of winning the quadruple.
“Sometimes you need to get a knock to realize, ‘Ah, there is a problem,’” Klopp said. “And I would really say we got a proper knock last year. I got one for sure, so I’m on fire. The players understand as well and so far I like the response, a lot.
“Yes, I want to put things right. And that gives me the extra edge as well, if I’m 100% honest. The fever, the power, the excitement is bigger when last year was not great.”
Even last season, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola maintained Liverpool were his team's biggest rival, fueled by his memories of their seismic title battles in 2018-19 and 2021-22 when the two clubs raised the level of the Premier League to previously unforeseen heights.
City have remained at that level, while Liverpool have wavered — first when squeezing to a third-place finish in the league in 2020-21 and then again last season when finishing outside the top four for the first time since 2015-16.
Liverpool's season will be disrupted somewhat by having to play in the Europa League, necessitating many Thursday-Sunday turnarounds.
Anfield also is set to be operating at a reduced capacity, down to 51,000 from its previous 54,000, early this season because work hasn't been completed on the construction of a new stand that will eventually take the number of seats in the stadium to 61,000.
Nothing, though, is dampening Klopp's enthusiasm heading into the season and he said he could see from the first day of preseason that his “boys mean business.”
“I'd really love to be that team,” Klopp said, “where everybody thinks, ‘Oh God, Liverpool.'”
Get ready for Liverpool 2.0 under revitalized Jurgen Klopp after offseason overhaul
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Get ready for Liverpool 2.0 under revitalized Jurgen Klopp after offseason overhaul
- Get ready for Liverpool 2.0 under Klopp after an offseason of big change
- In the 2021-22 season, remember, the Reds narrowly fell short of winning the quadruple
Paris Saint-Germain win Ligue 1 title after Monaco defeat
- Monaco’s defeat gave PSG an unassailable 12-point lead at the top
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain were confirmed as Ligue 1 champions on Sunday without playing after closest challengers Monaco lost 3-2 away to Lyon.
Monaco’s defeat gave PSG an unassailable 12-point lead at the top of the table with three games remaining and means they are champions for a French record-extending 12th time.
PSG could have clinched the title on Saturday with a win at home to struggling Le Havre, but in the end they needed a 95th-minute equalizer to snatch a 3-3 draw.
However, after that game coach Luis Enrique insisted his side had won the league “without any doubt,” as they were 12 points clear with only 12 points left to play for, and also boast a far superior goal difference to that of Monaco.
The principality club’s loss in Lyon nevertheless makes PSG’s coronation official, and sets them up for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg away to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Monaco had taken the lead inside the opening minute in Lyon thanks to a Wissam Ben Yedder goal, but Alexandre Lacazette equalized for the hosts and Said Benrahma put them ahead before the half-hour mark.
Ben Yedder struck again to bring it back to 2-2, only for substitute Malick Fofana to net a late winner for Lyon, who are still hoping to qualify for Europe.
PSG have won 10 of their 12 titles in the last 12 seasons, a record which goes to show how the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011 has utterly transformed them and the face of French football as a whole.
They are on course for a clean sweep of trophies this season, with the French Cup final against Lyon to come on May 25 and the French Champions Trophy already in the bag.
Luis Enrique’s side are also hoping to see off Dortmund and win through to the final of the Champions League on June 1.
Last-gasp goal stretches Leverkusen unbeaten streak
- The strike keeps Leverkusen’s remarkable streak of late goals alive
- Alonso’s side have now won or equalized in stoppage time 10 times this season in all competitions
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Robert Andrich scored with the last kick of the match to extend Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to 46 games this season with a 2-2 home draw against Stuttgart on Saturday.
With Bundesliga champions Leverkusen facing their first loss of the season in any competition trailing 2-1 late in stoppage time, Andrich hammered in a loose ball to equalize in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The strike keeps Leverkusen’s remarkable streak of late goals alive, with Xabi Alonso’s side doing the same at Borussia Dortmund in the seventh minute of injury time for a 1-1 draw last week.
Two goals in the space of nine minutes to start the second half from Chris Fuehrich and Deniz Undav put Stuttgart on course, with Amine Adli pulling one back after 61 minutes.
Leverkusen built pressure but could not break through, putting their hopes of becoming the first team to go a full Bundesliga season without defeat in doubt.
However, with time running out, they won a free kick and Florian Wirtz curled the ball into the box, Andrich snapping up a rebound to score.
Alonso’s side have now won or equalized in stoppage time 10 times this season in all competitions.
Kane hits double in Bayern win as Leipzig tighten grip on fourth
- Kane scored in each half, finishing off a tearing Konrad Laimer run and converting a penalty, to raise his league tally to 35 goals in 31 games
- Kane is now six goals shy of Robert Lewandowski’s all-time single-season Bundesliga goals record
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday to set a new personal record for goals in a season as RB Leipzig tightened their grip on fourth spot with a home victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Kane scored in each half, finishing off a tearing Konrad Laimer run and converting a penalty, to raise his league tally to 35 goals in 31 games.
Kane is now six goals shy of Robert Lewandowski’s all-time single-season Bundesliga goals record and has hit a personal best of 42 goals in all competitions this campaign.
The England captain’s goals came either side of a Hugo Ekitike stunner, a day after the Frenchman became a permanent Frankfurt player.
Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller said his side was “in a good flow,” saying since getting past Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals “we’ve been getting better, we’ve got a grip on things.”
Before the match, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel hit back at claims from the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness that the manager wanted to buy rather than develop players, saying the “absolutely baseless” allegation “could not be further from reality.”
Despite the victory, which solidified Bayern’s chances of a second-placed finish, both Laimer and defender Matthijs de Ligt were subbed off with injury just days before Tuesday’s home Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid.
Dortmund, Germany’s other Champions League semifinalist, had a setback ahead of hosting Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, being thoroughly outclassed in a 4-1 defeat at Leipzig.
The undermanned visitors, missing captain Emre Can, Donyell Malen, Ian Maatsen and Sebastien Haller, dominated early, hitting the lead after 20 minutes through Jadon Sancho.
The England winger curled an excellent shot from the edge of the box into the top right corner to give Dortmund the lead.
Jolted to life, Leipzig equalized almost immediately, Lois Openda turning in a superb Xavi Simons cross for his 24th goal of the season.
Originally called offside, the goal was awarded after a VAR review and the video referee intervened again shortly after, overturning a penalty for Leipzig.
Leipzig then scored two quick-fire goals either side of half-time. Benjamin Sesko pounced on a rebound just before the break and Openda found Mohamed Simakan early in the second.
Christoph Baumgartner added a fourth with 10 minutes remaining to send Leipzig five points clear of Dortmund in fourth, the final guaranteed Champions League spot.
Dortmund goalie Gregor Kobel said “like so often this season, we gifted the opponent too many goals.”
With three teams in the semifinals of the top two European competitions, Germany may however snare a fifth Champions League spot.
Werder Bremen guaranteed first division football next season, winning 3-0 away at Augsburg to go 10 points clear of the drop with three games to play.
Goals from Romano Schmid and Olivier Deman and a Marvin Ducksch penalty took Bremen to a second-straight win for the first time since February.
Wolfsburg also took a major step toward securing top-flight football, scoring two goals in the final minutes to come from behind and beat a 10-man Freiburg 2-1.
In Saturday’s late game, Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will try and keep their unbeaten record alive this season when they host third-placed Stuttgart.
No team in Bundesliga history has ever gone through a season unbeaten.
Sheffield United become first team relegated from EPL after heavy loss at Newcastle
- The Blades were 10 points from safety with three games remaining, ensuring an immediate return to the Championship
- Alexander Isak scored two of Newcastle’s goals, taking his season tally to 23 in all competitions
NEWCASTLE, England: Sheffield United became the first team to be relegated from the English Premier League after losing at Newcastle 5-1 on Saturday.
The Blades were 10 points from safety with three games remaining, ensuring an immediate return to the Championship.
They took the lead in the fifth minute at St. James’ Park through Anel Ahmedhodzic, only to be overwhelmed by a home team on the charge for European qualification.
Alexander Isak scored two of Newcastle’s goals, taking his season tally to 23 in all competitions — 19 in the league. That’s one behind joint leaders Cole Palmer of Chelsea and Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson also netted for Newcastle, while Ben Osborn scored an own-goal. That meant Sheffield United conceded 13 goals to Newcastle this season, following September’s 8-0 loss at Bramall Lane.
The visitors took the lead when they worked a short corner move for Ahmedhodzic to head Gustavo Hamer’s cross past Martin Dubravka.
Isak’s first goal came in the 26th after Jacob Murphy played the perfect ball into the Sweden striker, Isak, who ran in behind Auston Trusty and finished with aplomb.
Mason Holgate headed against the crossbar and Andre Brooks blazed wide from the resulting corner as Sheffield United threatened.
The second half was all Newcastle, which netted four goals in 18 minutes — starting in the 54th when Anthony Gordon curled a free kick to the far post where the unmarked Guimaraes dived to head home.
Isak coolly converted a 61st-minute penalty after Holgate bundled Gordon to the ground, and it was 4-1 within four minutes when Osborn back-heeled the ball into his own net as he tried to clear.
Foderingham denied Wilson within five minutes of his arrival but could not prevent him from making it 5-1 with a powerful finish after fellow substitute Harvey Barnes played him in.
Newcastle were in seventh place, one point Manchester United in sixth.
Klopp and Salah involved in touchline spat during Liverpool’s draw at West Ham
- Klopp went over to speak to the Egypt winger
- Salah answered back with his arms outstretched then started to point at Klopp, who was nodding while looking out onto the field
LONDON: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and star forward Mohamed Salah were involved in a touchline confrontation during the team’s 2-2 draw with West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Salah was a substitute for the game and was preparing to come on shortly after Michail Antonio’s 77th-minute equalizer when Klopp went over to speak to the Egypt winger.
Salah answered back with his arms outstretched then started to point at Klopp, who was nodding while looking out onto the field. Darwin Nunez, who was also about to enter as a sub, got in between Salah and Klopp and pushed away his teammate.
Klopp refused to divulge the reason behind the spat.
“No, we already spoke in the dressing room,” Klopp said. “For me, that’s done.”
When Salah was asked for a comment after the game, video footage on social media showed him saying: “There’s going to be fire today if I speak.”
The 31-year-old Salah has scored in just one of his last six games and has started on the bench for two of Liverpool’s last three matches.
Klopp is leaving at the end of the season after nearly nine years in charge.
