In Bruges

What's the best way to spend two months locked up at home, when the world is grappling with a pandemic and there are no guarantees when normal life will return? I wish I knew the answer. I am trying to think about happy times, like last year, when I had one of the most memorable experiences of my lifetime. I travelled alone, to a different country, for the first time, and it was wonderful. I thought I had seen a lot of things. I had lived in 8 different cities across 4 states in India, each state with a different language, all different from the one I spoke at my home. I am from Kerala and right from my childhood I had learnt that no place is more beautiful than Kerala. I thought nothing in the world could surprise me. I couldn't have been more wrong. 

I was in Belgium for a two day conference. But at the last moment, at the advice of a coworker, I decided to skip the second day of the conference, to visit a small city near Brussels, a two hour train ride away. And yet it is years apart from Brussels. 

Bruges is a city in the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish region of Brussels. The city is beautiful and the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the early 12th century to 15th century, the city was a strategic centre and formed an essential part of the trade routes of Western Europe. Bruges' golden era declined during the late 1500s and by the early 16th century, the rise of Antwerp caused a decline in trade. It gradually descended into slumber and became a ghost town, with population falling to 50000 by early 1900s. The Germans occupied the city during WWI and WWII but did not destroy it. Even the Germans couldn't bring themselves to destroy this beautiful city.

At the same time, Bruges became one of the world's first tourist destinations. The city has preserved most of its medieval architecture. Once in Bruges, you are transported to a time when life was simpler. The houses resemble the ones in fairy tales and the city centre is stuff of Bollywood dreams. The brightly coloured houses, the arced rooftops, and the many churches can make anyone look a great photographer. The city is connected by canals and one can take a ride in boats across the canals. Only later, when I read more about Flanders, did I realise that not only is Bruges one of the best places in Europe, the entire region of Flanders is an absolute beauty. (If you wonder why red poppies are a symbol of remembrance for soldiers fallen in WWI, read about the poem "In Flanders Fields").

I spent around 4 hours and decided to return to my hotel in Brussels. I had imprudently forgotten to charge my phone. Not a smart thing to do while travelling in a country, where you don't speak the language. One of the worst things about visiting Bruges is that you will have to eventually leave. 

A random canal with some houses in the background

The canal with the Bell Fry in the background

A beautiful arched bridge

10 footballing moments that defined 2010s

Another decade has passed. 10 years older and none the wiser. Liverpool were 8th at the start of the decade and by the end of 2010s are European Champions, World Champions and  poised to be Premier League Champions. But this post is not about that. This is about 10 moments that were momentous, shocking and the defining moments of the decade. And to add a bit of fun, I have picked only one from each year.

2010 - Andres Iniesta wins the World Cup

It's hard to pick another moment in a World Cup year, other than the World Cup final. Spain winning the world cup for the first time in 2010 was the only worthwhile event in an otherwise dreadful tournament . Despite having a competitive league and some of the best clubs and players in the world, Spain had never managed to win the World Cup. They went into the tournament as European Champions and overwhelming favorites. If the Dutch gave us Total Football, Spain(specifically, Barcelona) made it fashionable. They lost their first group game 1-0 to Switzerland, but came back to win 2-0 against Honduras, 2-1 against 10 men Chile. They won 1-0 against Portugal in the round of 16 and then won 1-0 against Paraguay to set up a semi-final against Germany. A thumping Carlos Puyol header gave Spain another 1-0 win. The final, against Netherlands, resembled more of a wrestling match than a football game, not helped at all by Howard Webb, the match referee. Iniesta won the final in extra-time with a goal at minute 117. The fact that it were two catalans who scored the winning goals in the semi-finals and finals is a tad ironic, when one considers the separatist sentiments in Catalonia today.

Notable mentions:

Inter's Treble

2011 - Liverpool off their perch

For too long the red half of Merseyside prided on being the best team in England with 18 first division titles to their name. When Liverpool won their 18th title in 1990, United had 7. They were not even second on the list (Arsenal had 10 titles). Even the most optimistic of United fans would not have expected that United would ever catch up to Liverpool, never mind within two decades. Rooney, Chicharito and Berbatov guided United to their 19th title, in a season where their eternal rivals Liverpool might have gone into administration. Arsenal, who were the primary title challengers for United, ended up finishing 4th, while a late title charge from Chelsea was not enough to stop United from knocking Liverpool off their perch, although they were brought back to earth in 3-1 Champions league humbling by Barcelona.

Notable mentions:-
That goal from Wayne Rooney. Barcelona win Champions League and La Liga. The Blue moon rising- City win a trophy after 35 years.

2012 - Aguerooooooo!!

There might never be a moment as staggering as the Aguero goal to "snatch the title away from Manchester United in injury time". After starting the season in scorching form, beating Spurs 5-1 at White Hart Lane and United 6-1 at Old Trafford, City's form dipped in the second half. A late Mikel Arteta goal against Arsenal at the Emirates left City 8 points behind with 6 games to go. But a 1-0 loss for United at Wigan and 4-4 draw at home against Everton, meant that the deficit was only 3 points by the time the two Manchester rivals met in May. A Vincent Kompany header secured the 3 points and moved City above United on goal difference. United played Sunderland on the final day, while City hosted QPR. A Rooney goal was enough for the 3 points for United, while City, who led through a Zabaleta goal at half-time, were suddenly behind in the second half. Mancini threw Dzeko and Balotelli and City were playing with 4 strikers towards the end. A 91st minute header by Dzeko restored parity and gave some of the fans hope. City were "still alive" and a Nigel De Jong pass, laid on by "Balotelli and then Aguerooooooo". "I swear you will never see anything like that ever again.".

Notable mentions:-
Chelsea winning the Champions League, against all odds and defying all common sense,. Invincible Juventus - Unbeaten all through the season. Liverpool win the League Cup :P

2013 - Fergie's Time is up

Sir Alex Ferguson symbolized the Manchester United that I grew up watching. If ever there was a pantomime villain for a Liverpool fan, it was him. As much as I hated Manchester United, I could only admire the great teams that they had. Visiting teams would often wilt under the sheer willingness of Ferguson's United, one of the many reasons why they won games with some many late goals. 13 League titles, 2 Champions Leagues and countless other cups, Sir Alex is the second best Scottish manager the world has ever seen (nobody can be as good as Bill Shanks).

Notable mentions:
PSG win their first league title after the Qatari investment. Wigan Athletic win the FA Cup, in one of football's most romantic stories, Bayern become the first German club to win the treble.

2014 - Marcanazo returns

It's hard to pick another moment in a World Cup year, other than the World Cup final. And yet Brazil's 7-1 semifinal loss to Germany is one such moment. 2014 was to be Brazil's year. This was the year that they buried the ghosts of 1950, the year people forget Marcanazo. Marcanazo was forgotten, but not the way everybody expected.
Brazil had failed to convince in the entire tournament. They topped Group A with 7 points thanks to some Neymar heroics, and then needed a penalty shootout against Chile to reach the last eight.
They seemed to have turned a corner in the Quarterfinals against Colombia, as they led 2-0 until the 80th minute. A James Rodriguez penalty cut the deficit to 2-1, but Brazil still looked like going through. An unfortunate injury to Neymar in 88th minute though, changed the nature of the win. Brazil had to face Germans without Neymar and their captain Thiago Silva, who was suspended.
The semi-final was nothing less than catastrophic for Brazil. Thomas "Ramdeuter" Muller scored the opening goal from Germany's first corner of the game in the 11th minute. Brazil tried to respond, but within a space of 6 first half minutes, let in 4 goals. The Brazilian defence was in shambles, with David Luiz, guilty in particular, caught napping at the halfway line when his team conceded the third goal. The first half ended with score 5-0 to the Germans. Germany added 2 more in the second half, with Oscar grabbing a glorified consolation in injury time. Brazilian fans were devastated and most of them couldn't hide their tears. Brazil ended up finishing fourth, losing the third-place playoff 3-0 to the Netherlands.
The defeat sent shock-waves all over the world, with ex-players, media and even the German players coming out in support of the Brazilian team, trying to protect them from more trauma. Also, Deigo Maradona was spotted singing a song mocking the Brazilian defeat.

Notable mentions:
Gerrard slip La Decima - Real Madrid finally win their 10th Champions League Germany win their first World Cup as a unified nation Atletico Madrid win the La Liga against the two best sides in the world Arsenal end their trophy drought.

2015 - Double Treble

A true treble is one of the rarest occasions in football, when one team manages to win the domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup. Only 8 clubs in Europe have managed to do that, Celtic(1967), Ajax (1972), Liverpool (1984), PSV (1988), Man United (1999), Barcelona(2009,2015), Inter (2010) and Bayern(2013). Of all the clubs, Barcelona are the only club to win the treble twice. The 2014-15 Barcelona side relied heavily on Messi, Neymar and Suarez, as the fabled MSN trio led Barcelona to a glory season. They had to fight it out though, as they won the league by one point against arch rivals Real Madrid on match day 37.

They won the Copa Del Rey final 3-1 against Athletic Bilbao, with Messi scoring an astonishing goal by dribbling past a number of players from the right flank.
They played a memorable Champions League campaign, which included a semi-final against Bayern Munich, in a repeat of the 2013 semi-final which they lost 7-0 on aggregate. The tie also marked the return of Pep Guardiola to Camp Nou for the first time as an opposing manager. Lionel Messi scored two wonder goals in the second half to win the first leg 3-0, as Barcelona won the tie 5-3 on aggregate to set up a final against Juventus. The final itself was a tense affair where they led 1-0 early in the first half thanks to a goal from Ivan Rakitic. Juve equalized at minute 55 via Alvaro Morata, the ex Madrista, before Suarez made it 2-1 in the 68th minute. It stayed like that till Neymar scored and secured the treble deep into added time.

Notable mentions:
Jose wins the third title with Chelsea. Chile win Copa America for the first time. The Golden generation of Ivory Coast win Africa Cup of Nations. Arsenal become the most successful club in FA Cup history. Jurgen Klopp becomes a Kop favorite.

2016 - Leicester's Fairy Tale

Leicester City had barely survived relegation in their first year back in the top flight. Nigel Pearson had staged a memorable comeback to save a team who were rooted to the bottom of the league. It was then, surprising when Leicester City sacked him and appointed Claudio Ranieri as the new manager for the 2015-16 season. The pundits predicted Leicester to get relegated and the bookmakers gave them a 5000-1 odds of winning the league. They lost a total of 3 matches all season. They topped the table at Christmas, before a Boxing day loss to Liverpool dropped them to second place. Leicester soon regained the top spot and did not relinquish it. They won at Etihad in Jan and that had people noticing them and giving them a chance. They lost at Emirates to Arsenal deep in second half stoppage time, and it seemed that it would spell the end for their title hopes.Arsenal being Arsenal, couldn't sustain a title challenge and on May 2, after a 2-2 draw between Spurs and Chelsea, Leicester won the league. 
The win had a phenomenal reaction, evicting responses from the British and Italian Prime Ministers, former Leicester players and managers. Heck, even I posted a status update on Facebook.

Notable mentions:
Pep joins City Portugal win Euros, their first ever major trophy.

2017 - Neymar's Transfer to PSG

The world was in shock when Neymar decided to leave Barcelona and join PSG. As much as the footballing wisdom behind the decision is questionable, the transfer shook the footballing world to the core. 222 million euros was a sum unheard of. The transfer spurred a chain reaction of events, wherein 100 million+ became the norm for attacking players. Teenage stars were attracting figures of 120 million and more, while defenders were costing 70 million euros. Liverpool's buy of Mo Salah for 35 million euros a month before Neymar transfer seemed like a steal. Football as we knew did not exist anymore.
Just like the birth of Christ divides modern history, the Neymar transfer divided footballing history into two eras, the one before transfer and the one after.

Notable mentions:
Barcelona comeback from a 4-0 first leg deficit to win 6-1 against PSG. Real Madrid become the first team to defend the Champions League in the modern era.

2018 - A crazy World Cup in Russia

The 2018 World Cup was one the craziest, if not the craziest, in recent times. There were a string of upsets, close games and lots of goals. This tournament belonged to the underdogs as the big names failed to impress. Italy, Netherlands and Chile failed to qualify for the main tournament, while the likes of Argentina and Germany, finalists in the last editions, failed to convince in the group stage. Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by minnows Iceland, before being thrashed 3-0 by Croatia. Only a close 2-1 win against Nigeria helped the qualify for the knockouts, where they were soundly beaten 4-3 by France. Germany had their troubles too. They lost their first game 1-0 against Mexico. The second game against Sweden was a close encounter, where they were trailing 1-0 after the first half. A goal from Marco Rues and late injury time winner from Toni Kroos secured a win for Germany. But they lost 2-0 to South Korea and finished bottom of the group.
One of the other favorites, Spain, lost in the Round of 16 to hosts Russia on  penalties. Meanwhile, England managed to reach the Quarter-finals after winning a penalty shootout against Colombia. Read that again. England won a penalty shoot-out.
Belgium were on the brink of elimination against Japan, trailing 2-0 with 20 minutes to go, before staging a monumental comeback to win 3-2 in normal time, the winner coming in the 90th minute after a counterattack from a Japanese corner.
Brazil were knocked out by Belgium in the Quarter-finals, losing 2-1, while France beat Uruguay 2-0 to set up a semi-final against Belgium. England and Croatia played the other semi-final, which England led from minute 5 thanks to Kieran Trippier. Ivan Perisic equalized in minute 68 and it remained 1-1 at full-time. Mandzukic scored in the 109th minute to give Croatia the lead and help them to reach their maiden world cup final.
France won their semi against Belgium 1-0 thanks to a goal from Samuel Umtiti. The final was a very eventful affair. Mandzukic scored an own goal in the 18th minute to open the scoring before Perisic equalized for Croatia in the 29th minute. Greizman gave France the lead from the spot after VAR assisted handball call against Croatia and the first half ended with the score 2-1.
Paul Pogba added an insurance goal in the 59th minute before Kylian Mbappe added a fourth in the 65th minute. Mbappe became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final. There was even time for Hugo Loris to let one in four minute later as he kicked the ball straight back to an onrushing Mandzukic. The game finished 4-2 to France as they became the World Champions for the second time.

Notable mentions:
VVD to Liverpool, becomes the most expensive defender. Barcelona collapse against Roma - throw away a 3 goal lead. Real Madrid win their third successive Champions League City's Centurions. Ronaldo's transfer.

2019 - Corner Taken Quickly

Barcelona arrived into their semi-final second leg against Liverpool with a 3-0 lead from the first leg. The entire eleven players who started the game were rested over the weekend with the league already won. Liverpool on the other hand were bruised, starting without 2 of their fabled front three. The front three that started were Shaqiri, Origi and Mane. The game seemed a lost cause and few believed that a comeback was even possible. Jurgen Klopp told his players that "it's almost impossible, but because it's you guys I believe it's possible."
What happened over the next 90 minutes is the greatest comeback in European football, after Istanbul 2005. Forget Roma 2018, or Barcelona themselves in 2017, this was momentous. Divock Origi, the man who many thought was surplus to the needs at Anfield, scored in the 7th minute to give the Scousers hope. But it took a string of good saves from Alisson and some poor finishing from Barcelona to keep the game 1-0 at half time. Andy Robertson was subbed off with injury and on came Gigi Wijnaldum, the Barcelona slayer. He scored twice at minute 54 and 56 to level the tie. Barcelona did not know what hit them and they were all over the place. However the moment of the match was yet to come. When the ball rolled out for a corner for Liverpool in the 79th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold saw the Barcelona defense napping and quickly found Divock Origi ,who finished smartly to give Liverpool the lead for the first time in the tie. They held on to dump Barcelona out and book a place in the final in Madrid, which they would eventually win. The post match celebrations and the rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" would eventually be one of the best moments Anfield had witnessed all decade.

Notable mentions:
Domestic Treble for Manchester City. Messi wins the sixth Balon d'Or. Liverpool win the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Has India failed Gandhi

October 2nd 2019 was the 150th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. To say that he is India's most famous son after Buddha is no exaggeration. The juxtaposition of a religious figure with an almost God-like reverence and a political figure may seem sacrilegious, but it is something most scholars of Indian politics and history won't find incongruous.

Gandhi's role in the Indian freedom movement is well documented by numerous historians and political observers, both in India and internationally. And yet his contributions are grossly understated in his home country. With the rise of right wing nationalism, Indian society has forgotten the significance of a non-violent freedom struggle spearheaded by Gandhi. So much so, that some sections of right wing fanatics deify Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Gandhi. It is representative of the modern Indian society and the world at this moment, with a surge in right-wing nationalism all over the world.

It is very strange that the right-wing does not like Gandhi. Gandhi was everything that a utopian right-wing politician offers to their supporters. His politics was driven by a strong moral compass, a result of him being deeply religious. His evangelism of radical vegetarianism is proof of his devout Jain roots. And yet he was not blinded by ideological or religious bigotry. At times Gandhi admired Christian beliefs, despite the "unchristian" behaviour of the British. In his autobiography, he applauds the gospel of Mathew and especially chapter 5, the Sermon on the Mount. And it is often this tolerance of other religions and opposing views that makes him stand out amongst other right-wing leaders.

Indian government has trivialised Gandhi and forgotten his ideals. It is ironic that in his 150th birth year, the government has decided to imprison the people of an entire state in their homes. The unconstitutional abolishment of article 370 and the subsequent clampdown on India administered Kashmir is proof that India as a society has failed Gandhi. For someone who took a bullet because he refused to condone violence against Muslims, this must feel like a knife to the heart.

The most common complaint against Gandhian principles is that they are too lofty and ambitious. The modern leader needs to be pragmatic. And it is this pragmatism that is the damnation of this generation. The refusal to speak out against blatant injustice against fellow countrymen is a testament to the moral corruption in our society. This lack of a moral compass has created a country of self-seeking opportunists, pragmatic and quite often clever. The modern Indian does not care if their government is tyrannical.

In this age of Erdoğans, Trumps, Putins and Modis, the world has forgotten Gandhi. And as we witness the birth of a totalitarian nation, a Nazi India, I am sure India has failed Gandhi too.

Let's talk about six baby!

10 years is a long time in football. 10 years ago, Pep had just won the treble in his first season. Alex Ferguson was managing Man Utd and they used to be good. Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso were part of the Inter team that won the European Cup that year. Jose was coaching Inter, Pellegrini was managing Real. 10 years ago I was a bright eyed high school student, with few worries, but the biggest of them was Liverpool FC, the club I loved. 10 years later I am a corporate professional with many worries, but Liverpool ain't one of them.

It was in the summer of 2010 that I realised that Liverpool would not be at the pinnacle of Europe for long. Rafa had left, we had finished 7th the season before. The club was in a mess financially. Alonso and Arbeloa had left. Mascherano had handed in a transfer request.  He wanted to leave for Barcelona, and play for Guardiola, not Roy Hodgson. It seemed like if you wanted to win, Liverpool was not the place to be. Then came the lowest of lows, when in January, Torres left Liverpool for Chelsea. It seemed that Liverpool would languish in mediocrity for some time.
Hodgson was soon relieved and in came King Kenny, who revitalized the squad. We won a trophy, albeit a League Cup and reached an FA Cup final. Inconsistencies in the league proved fatal though, as even Kenny was sacked at the end of 2012 season. Even in the short span of 18 months, he gave us lots of memories and a lasting gift in Luis Suarez.
The 2013-14 season was all about the genius of Luis Suarez. 32 goals in the league, in a season when he was banned for 10 games. He took us to the cusp of glory only for that fatal April afternoon, when it all slipped away. The 3-2 win against Man City gave me an almost blind belief of victory, only for the heartbreak against Chelsea two weeks later. Suarez left in the summer. He left for Barcelona (them again).
Brendan Rodgers left and in came the magician Klopp. Everything about him was special, right from Day 1. The first season was decent, the Dortmund comeback being the highlight. I remember having to study for a test, only to give up on it and watch the match. Liverpool ended up going through and I ended up with a C. There were heartbreaks too. Two finals losses. The second one in Europa League hurt, because it seemed that we were destined to win, after that epic comeback. A summer of heavy recruitment ensued, in came the likes of Mane and Wijnaldum. The following season was one of restoring normal service. Back to the Champions League.
2017-18 is one of the fondest seasons in my memory. Liverpool signed Salah for 35 million, which seemed a lot for someone who failed at Chelsea. Then Neymar blew up the transfer window. With every passing game, Salah seemed like a bargain, a steal. City were running away with the league, unbeaten by New Year. In came January and Coutinho left us for, guess who, Barcelona. We bought another over-priced defender from Southampton to partner Lovren for 75 million, or so I thought. Man City came to Anfield, unbeaten and looking invincible. Our front three destroyed them. Our defence caved in the end, but we held on for a 4-3 win. We then destroyed them in the UCL quarter finals. As we reached the final, it again seemed to me that we would win it for sure. Liverpool fell at the final hurdle again, thanks to some poor goalkeeping from Karius and some insane wrestling from Ramos. It hurt to lose like that.
The summer was one that gave me hope again. We got in Fabinho, Alisson, Keita and Big Shaq. It seemed like we finally had a team. The season began with the front three sluggish. Liverpool were sturdy and had to grind out results early. By September, we were in a 3-way tie at the top. We outplayed Spurs at Wembley and deservedly won 2-1. Firmino had a freak eye injury. We welcomed PSG in the UCL match day 1. Liverpool's absence from the Champions League had seen a generation of players pass by and never play at Anfield, the likes of Neymar and Messi. This was special. Two great players, in Mbappe and Neymar, completely outplayed for 45 minutes, as Liverpool raced to a 2 goal lead before half-time. PSG got a lucky break as the ball fell to Munier who absolutely buried his shot. 2-1 halftime. Liverpool dominated the second half. Salah gave the ball away in Liverpool half letting Mbappe equalize for PSG late in the second half. Klopp brought on Bobby and the one eyed pirate broke PSG hearts with a classy finish in injury time. What a game!
A Daniel Sturridge screamer against his old team Chelsea, won us a share of points at Stamford Bridge. City came to Anfield and Mahrez rocketed his penalty to preserve our unbeaten record. By December, Liverpool and City were neck to neck. A late Origi goal, with an assist from Jordon Pickford, gave Liverpool the win in the Merseyside Derby. A late double strike from substitute Shaqiri sunk United and gave Jose the sack. City lost three games in December as Liverpool topped the league on Christmas. We thrashed Arsenal 5-1, with a Firmino hat-trick. Meanwhile the Champions League was a bewilderment of sorts. After the PSG win, we lost to Napoli, Red Star Belgrade and PSG away, with a win against Red Star at home. It left us with a must win game against Napoli. All seemed well as Salah scored one before we missed a host of chances, with Mane particularly guilty. We were holding on for 1-0. Late in injury time Lovren did a Lovren and missed a header, leaving Arkadiusz Milik one on one with Alisson. It seemed like it was all over, but somehow Alisson saved it. Liverpool held on and we went through to the knockouts.
January began with a match against City at Etihad. Liverpool had a 7 point lead and a win would have been fantastic. The game depicted the fine margins between victory and defeat. Mane almost scored for Liverpool in the first half. John Stones cleared the ball 11 millimeters before it crossed the line. Late in the second half, with scores tied 1-1, Sane hit one to Alisson's far post only for it to ricochet off the post and into the net. City shut shop after that and won a close game 2-1.
Liverpool had a poor start to the year. We lost to Wolves and got out of the FA cup. We drew consecutive matches against Leicester and West Ham. Rafa led his Newcastle to victory against City. We were still in lead with 3 points. February brought the Champions League round of 16 matches against Bayern. 0-0 at Anfield was followed by a wonderful 3-1 win at Allianz Arena, with Mane scoring a brace. We dropped points against United and Everton and were trailing City by a point. There were still 10 games to go, so it seemed like a close finish.
By April, we were in the semi-finals of UCL and in a tight race with City for the league. City had some tough games against United and Spurs, while we had won against Spurs with a magical own goal in the 90th minute. We still had a home game against Chelsea. By the end of April though, the league chances seemed bleak. Both teams had won everything, and it seemed like it will be City who will win it. City won 1-0 at Burnley and with two games to go, it seemed like the title was theirs to lose.
May brought the UCL semi-final against Barcelona. They had bought some of our best players over the years, so it seemed apt to finally be able to defeat them. We started the first game brightly, without Firmino, in Camp Nou, before Saurez scored one to put them 1-0 up. We thoroughly dominated the second half before two quick goals from Messi put the game to rest. Dembele missed a sitter right at the end, but it seemed like Barcelona had won the tie at 3-0. The penultimate game of the league saw us visit Newcastle. We were 1-0 up and then 2-1 later in the game, before they made it 2-2. This seemed like the match where we would lose the title. On top of that, Salah was stretchered off with a head collision to cap off a truly catastrophic week. Big game man Divock Origi scored a late winner to steal the 3 points for us. Monday night fixture saw City win their game 1-0 against Leicester with a long range screamer from Kompany of all people.
The second leg of the semi-final was one heck of a game. Origi and Shaqiri started in the absence of Firmino and Salah. Origi scored one after 7 minutes. Alisson made some really good saves to keep it at 1-0 at half-time. It still looked tough for us to score 2 more and not concede. Wijnaldum came on for injured Robertson at half-time and scored two goals in 2 minutes to level the tie after 58 minutes. I could not believe what I was watching. Quick thinking from TAA at a corner left Origi with a golden chance to score. And he did score emphatically to put Liverpool 4-0 up. Barcelona were shell-shocked. We held on for a famous night. A final beckoned. It had seemed impossible 90 minutes ago, but we did. The sight of the entire team and support staff singing YNWA with the Kop was one to behold.
We won our last game in the league but so did City. They won the league with 98 points, we finished second with 97. It was disappointing for sure, but a bigger test awaited now. Spurs waited for us in the finals.
The final was an uneventful affair compared to our season. A second minute Salah penalty and a late Origi goal sealed European trophy number 6 for us. And in that moment, when Jordan Henderson lifted our sixth trophy, a decade of heartbreaks was all forgotten.