It may not have ended in the silverware we desired but Liverpool’s Premier League season has been an exceptional one.
Writing for BBC Sport, Garth Crooks selected five Reds in his team of the season: ‘Alisson: One of the reasons the Reds have been so successful is Alisson. The towering Brazilian goalkeeper continues to make crucial one-on-one saves during the big moments. He’s also one of those goalkeepers who, when producing great saves, makes them look quite ordinary.
‘Virgil van Dijk: He looks immaculate on the pitch and plays in the same manner. He is without doubt the best defender on the planet – and without him, Liverpool wouldn’t have had anywhere near the success they have had.
‘Trent Alexander-Arnold: He plays in that true Liverpool tradition, where full-backs fly forward and get among the action. He has a remarkable 19 assists in all competitions this season, and he could top 20 by the time the Champions League final comes to an end.
‘Sadio Mane: What a season this lad has had. Diogo Jota arrives and tries to take his place and so does Luis Diaz but to no avail. He then flies off to Cameroon for a month to play for Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations; wins the tournament for his country with the decisive penalty in the final shootout, comes back to Liverpool and picks up where he left off. Mane has been sensational for Liverpool and is without doubt the most committed striker in the country.
‘Mohamed Salah: It seems inconceivable to even think of leaving out a player who has scored 23 Premier League goals and yet for a fleeting moment I considered it. Salah’s goals speak for themselves but the final few games of the season have found the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year struggling for form. I can almost pin-point the moment Salah went off the boil and it seemed to coincide with his contract negotiations’.
It’s hard to argue with any of the selections, perhaps Joel Matip missing out for Antonio Rudiger and Ruben Dias, Andy Robertson for Joao Cancelo and no Fabinho or Thiago Alcantara in place of Christian Eriksen – could be seen as surprise omissions too.
However, for Jurgen Klopp’s team to be so heavily represented shows how amazing we have been and it was so close to being our season.
We now have to dust ourselves down and prepare for the small matter of the Champions League final against Real Madrid, in Paris.