Top five Liverpool performances of the Jürgen Klopp era

No English club has had more major trophy-winning managers than Liverpool. Nine different men have won the league title with the club. Six won European silverware while at Anfield, six raised the FA Cup, and six were League Cup winners. Six won trophy doubles, while two bagged trebles. It is a club with a long list of managers to revere.

But only Jürgen Klopp completed the set of league title, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, as well as taking home Liverpool’s sole Club World Cup. Throw in a Super Cup and Community Shield, and he didn’t just turn Liverpool from doubters to believers; he made them serial achievers. Were it not for the presence of Manchester City and his great rival Pep Guardiola, Klopp’s trophy tally would have been even more extensive. And without Klopp, for seven seasons English football would have been a virtual procession, rather than an enthralling competition.

Klopp deserves his place in the pantheon of great Liverpool managers, up there with Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish. Like his predecessors, his impact on the club extended beyond the trophy cabinet. Klopp’s tactical influence was massive. With his intense, entertaining brand of football – from his team’s trademark press to their commitment to attack – there was rarely a dull moment watching his Liverpool. Indeed, the list of memorable games he oversaw is a long one.

Nonetheless, we have selected our top five outstanding performances. It was no easy task, and others would quite possibly have selected different games. There is no doubt, however, that these were all magnificent displays that stand as a testament to his coaching ability.

#5 Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool, Premier League, October 24 2021

Klopp’s record against Manchester United was actually a mixed bag. In 21 encounters, he won seven, drew nine and lost five. He knocked United out of the Europa League in 2016, but lost two FA Cup ties at Old Trafford. There was an extremely dominant 4-0 win at Anfield in April 2022, followed by an incredible 7-0 victory the following March. In between, United won 2-1 at Old Trafford – a venue where Klopp only tasted victory twice.

But in fifth place on our list is this 5-0 humiliation dished out on enemy turf – the biggest home defeat United have ever suffered against their greatest rivals. The home side, then managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, were unable to cope with the devastating movement and combinations of Klopp’s team – most notably Roberto Firmino’s dropping, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota moving infield, and Naby Keïta pushing forwards. Keïta opened the scoring, Jota made it two, then a Salah brace doubled the lead by half-time. The Egyptian completed his hat-trick – and a historic result – in the second half.

Read our full tactical analysis of Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool

#4  Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City, Champions League quarter final first leg, April 4 2018

After two and a half years in the job, Klopp and Liverpool had made significant progress. Two finals in his first year, followed by Champions League qualification in his first full season. When Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City arrived at Anfield in the spring of 2018, however, the gulf between the sides was evident in the Premier League standings. City were 18 points ahead of Liverpool, with a game in hand, en route to registering the first 100-point top-flight season in England.

Now with a front three of Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mané, plus Virgil van Dijk’s arrival in the January, Liverpool were themselves set to take a leap forward. A tireless out-of-possession display was the platform for this sensational result. All three goals came within the first 31 minutes, with Salah and Mané on the scoresheet, either side of an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain strike. And all three goals came from devastating counter-attacking play typical of a Klopp team at their best. Although they would lose the Champions League final that May, Klopp had put Liverpool back among Europe’s elite. More, of course, was to follow.

Read our full tactical analysis of Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City

#3 Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool, League Cup final, February 25 2024

Before embarking on what would prove to be his final season in charge, Klopp rebuilt the team into what he called “Liverpool 2.0”. Little did he know that he would have to rebuild the team again, mid-season, as a devastating list of injuries depleted his options. Going into this final against Chelsea, Klopp was deprived of 10 first-team players. That only worsened when Ryan Gravenberch was forced off injured after just 28 minutes.

And so it was that ‘Klopp’s kids’ played a key role in winning his final trophy as Liverpool manager. By the end of extra-time, five rookies had featured, with the average age of the team under 22. It was the energy and intensity of these youngsters that tipped the momentum decisively in Liverpool’s favour. “In my 20 years, this is easily the most special trophy,” said Klopp, who was rewarded for both his bold substitutions, and the foundations he had built at the club.

Read our full tactical analysis of Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool

#2 Leicester City 0-4 Liverpool, Premier League, December 26 2019

Almost 30 years since their last league title, Liverpool finished the 2018/19 season with 97 points and just one defeat… and still could not claim top spot. But they did win the Champions League, and when the 2019/20 season kicked off, Klopp’s team were absolutely relentless in their pursuit of the Premier League trophy. This Boxing Day game at Leicester – a meeting of second versus first – came after travelling back from winning the Club World Cup in Qatar. As such, there was a question over whether that trip would disrupt their domestic form.

The answer was as convincing as it comes. This was a performance of total control, described by Klopp as “absolutely special”. Liverpool’s intelligent press meant that Leicester struggled to get out of their own territory in the second half, during which three goals in 10 minutes represented deserved reward for the Reds’ dominance. The result gave Liverpool 17 wins and a draw from their first 18 league games. Not even a global pandemic could stop Klopp’s juggernaut from ending the wait for a Premier League title.

Read our full tactical analysis of Leicester City 0-4 Liverpool

#1 Liverpool 4 Barcelona 0, Champions League semi final second leg, May 7 2019

This was the signature victory of Klopp’s Liverpool reign. The night before, Manchester City had scraped past Leicester 1-0, when a draw would have put the title race in Liverpool’s hands on the final day. Instead, despite winning their last nine league games in a row, the league remained agonisingly elusive. In that potentially deflating context, they faced a Lionel Messi-led Barcelona side, already 3-0 up in this  semi final. To compound matters, both Salah and Firmino were absent, leaving benchwarmers Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi to deputise. Klopp, however, had built something special. What happened next has gone down in Anfield folklore.

Barcelona were caught out by Liverpool’s energetic pressing and struggled to defend against their scintillating wide play. James Milner and Jordan Henderson played important roles as ‘false full-backs’, allowing Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to get forward and combine with the wide players, and find players in the box. But even more than the tactical acumen, it was a performance that had Klopp’s sheer force of will written all over it.

Read our full tactical analysis of Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona

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Author: The Coaches' Voice