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THE last time Manchester City pipped Liverpool to the Premier League title on the final day of the season, the margin was a single point — or 11 millimetres.Jurgen Klopp still remembers it keenly — an extraordinary goal-line clearance by John Stones in City’s 2-1 victory at the Etihad which was Liverpool’s ONLY league defeat of that 2018-19 campaign.
The outstretched boot of John Stones stopped Liverpool from winning the title three years agoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
If Sunday’s final day goes to form, with home wins for City and Liverpool leaving Pep Guardiola’s men a point clear again, this time Klopp will locate the fine margin for success and failure inside the wiring of referee Paul Tierney’s brain.
While recognising every team has several ‘if only’ moments during the course of a season, Klopp mentioned the Reds’ 2-2 draw at Tottenham on December 19.
The fact he had to start with teenager Tyler Morton in central midfield due to a Covid outbreak and the failure of Tierney, or his VAR Chris Kavanagh, to award a stonewall straight red to Harry Kane for a reckless first-half challenge on Andy Robertson, who was later sent off himself.
Last summer, we were expecting Kane to settle the title race as a Manchester City player.
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Instead, he netted twice when Spurs defeated City 3-2 in February.
But Klopp also readily recalls the moment when Kane escaped a sending off against his side.
Harry Kane was not sent off for this tackle on Andy RobertsonCredit: The Times
Klopp’s mind was whirring as he analysed the title race, after his second string had secured an impressive comeback victory at Southampton on Tuesday, to set up Sunday’s climax, when City face Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa and his Quadruple-chasers host Wolves.
This title race has been magnificent but England’s undisputed ‘Big Two’ have not been as relentless as they were three years ago, when Liverpool won their final nine league games but City managed 14 straight victories to edge them out.
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Klopp mentioned Stones’ clearance in 2019 and he referenced the “madness, absolute madness” of Liverpool winning 15 and drawing three of their 18 fixtures in the second half of this season.
The Anfield boss added that this was “the only way to keep the distance to City like this” — and with his fingers he indicated the tiniest of margins.
Approximately 11mm.
Like any partisan football man, Klopp’s mind is quick to recall misfortune, while swift to forget moments of good luck.
He recalled away games at Spurs and Chelsea either side of Christmas, which both ended in 2-2 draws, when the Kop were suffering through Covid absences.
For the Spurs game, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara were all positive for the virus, while Jordan Henderson was also out with illness.
Jurgen Klopp’s side need to hope Aston Villa get a result against Man City on Sunday, while Liverpool beat WolvesCredit: AP
And while Klopp expressed his “love” for Morton, the 19-year-old has not featured in the Premier League since.
Klopp mentioned “when Robbo got a red card and Kane didn’t” — as Robertson had a straight red awarded by VAR Kavanagh, after he failed to do the same for Kane’s wild challenge earlier on.
But Kane had already fired Spurs into a 1-0 lead by that point, while the scoring had finished by the time Robertson received his marching orders.
If City defeat Villa on Sunday, though, that Spurs away game will be the match which lingers in Klopp’s thoughts.
What’s coming up on the Premier League final day
Perhaps even more if Liverpool defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League final and miss out on the Quad by a single league point.
But Klopp was adamant the Reds, with most of his first-choice players well-rested, will be fully focused on defeating Wolves because: “If we have one ear in Manchester, suddenly Jimenez bang!”
But, as for the prospect of a miracle from Liverpool legend Gerrard at the Etihad, Klopp did not sound hopeful, especially given that Villa host Burnley tonight with almost no recovery time before they face the champions.
He said: “They play Burnley, then they must collect the bones and go again on Sunday.
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Fixture scheduling, Covid absences, refereeing mistakes — every club has their moans over the course of a season.
And if Liverpool fall just a point short, Klopp will not be slow in airing his frustrations. More

THEY didn’t fancy it. They bent the rules. They cried off. They bottled it.When Arsenal managed to duck the North London Derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs were raging — issuing a strongly worded statement registering their disbelief at the Premier League agreeing to the postponement.

Expect this weekend’s north London derby to be the biggest in a generation – like when Arsenal won the title at White Hart Lane in 2004Credit: PA:Press Association
Antonio Conte and Spurs were left raging Arsenal were able to postpone the derby earlier this seasonCredit: Reuters
And Spurs players, staff and management are still privately seething about it now, in the build-up to Thursday’s long-awaited rescheduled fixture.
After all, it wasn’t exactly a case of plague, pestilence, war or famine that provoked the postponement.
Granit Xhaka being suspended is no biblical sign of impending apocalypse.
It happens every other month.
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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}’REALLY TASTY’ .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Neville picks North London derby winner and reveals extra edge to huge clash
The match was called off under Covid rules, yet Arsenal had only one player — Martin Odegaard — who was positive for the virus.
Xhaka was banned, Thomas Partey, Mo Elneny, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had gone to the Africa Cup of Nations, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Folarin Balogun were being sent out on loan.
Yes, Mikel Arteta’s side had injuries too but everyone knows they dodged the bullet.
Arsenal were not the only club to wangle a dodgy ‘Covid’ postponement last winter.
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There were a whole raft of them in the Championship.
But after the fixture was deliberately rescheduled late in the season by Premier League scriptwriters, that postponement debacle provides an intriguing backdrop to probably the biggest North London Derby in a generation.
A match to rival Arsenal winning the league at White Hart Lane (twice) or Gazza’s free-kick in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Spurs were excellent in their draw at Anfield and might easily have won it.
Arsenal were unconvincing in the second half of their victory against ten-man Leeds.
Yet the Gunners are now four points clear. Victory on Thursday will end a five-year exile from the Champions League. Defeat would leave it wide open with two to play.
To be fair, Tottenham didn’t turn up for the North London Derby at the Emirates in September, when they went 3-0 down after 34 minutes and everyone realised Nuno Dispirito Santo had had his chips.
Despite his frequent tantrums, Antonio Conte has revived their campaign since.
This will be a match to rival the famous FA Cup semi-final of 1991 – where Paul Gascoigne scored this incredible free-kickCredit: PA:Press Association
That draw at Anfield showcased Tottenham’s back three — the excellent Ben Davies, the revitalised Eric Dier and the future legend Cristian Romero — buying into Conte’s sadistic demands.
His favourite word is ‘suffer’. If his defenders return to the dressing room without welt marks on their bodies from blocking footballs, he has them summarily horsewhipped.
Up front, Spurs head into Thursday, with Son Heung-min ablaze, Harry Kane the highest North London Derby scorer in history and Dejan Kulusevski the highest assist-maker in the Premier League since his January arrival.
And yet Arsenal are in the box seat, thanks to an unerring belief in a project which few of us had faith in — a rookie manager, promoting a clutch of kids and clearing out big-money underachievers.
Four years on from Arsene Wenger’s exit, Arsenal have a plan. Nine years on from Sir Alex Ferguson’s, Manchester United remain an unmitigated shambles.
The Gunners deserve great credit for having the self-awareness to realise how far they had fallen and recognising the need for a full-on rebuild. Clinching a Champ-ions League place is always important.
Wenger used to parade an imaginary trophy for it every year. But it is more important for Spurs right now.
Finish fifth and Arsenal would carry on with their long-term plan, Arteta with his new contract extension; Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe so gifted that they’ve even made Status Quo sound cool at the Emirates.
Arsenal finally seem to have a plan for the future under Mikel ArtetaCredit: EPA
But if Spurs fail to make the top four, the turbulent Conte may head for the hills and there would be the chilling prospect of another Kane summer transfer saga — as chilling for reporters as for fans, mark my words.
For Arsenal to seize a place at the top table at Tottenham’s expense — without the need for any poisonous lasagne which laid low ten players and cost Spurs a Champions League place in 2006 — would be a fine achievement.
Yet they will still be crying foul play at Spurs. And, frankly, they may have a point.
TETCH FOR TAT
AS TITLE-RACE fatigue sets in, some glorious tetchiness from Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
We expected the Liverpool manager’s twaddle about Spurs playing negatively.
Credit: AP
But there was a failure of imagination when Guardiola opted for the imaginary siege routine after Manchester City humped Newcastle.
“Everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone,” he complained.
I mean, whatever gets you through the night baby but Reds fans call themselves ‘The Unbearables’ for a reason.
Nobody else can bear them.
So while Guardiola claims all English journalists support Liverpool, and City legend Sergio Aguero has stated we all support Manchester United, anyone with a passing knowledge of Fleet Street knows the vast majority have always supported West Ham.
SHEAR AGONY
MANCHESTER UNITED were so bad at Brighton that Alan Shearer — a man with no great fondness for the Old Trafford club — sounded as if he might burst into tears while trying to analyse their gutless capitulation on Match of the Day.
It’s now five consecutive away defeats for United, who went 29 Premier League matches unbeaten on the road under that misunderstood football genius Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
A sixth, at Crystal Palace on the final day, could dump United into the third-tier Europa Conference League.
Wonder if Patrick Vieira will show them any mercy?
ON YOUR TODD
THE silence of Roman Abramovich was a frustration to Chelsea fans long before he became implicated in the possible outbreak of World War Three.
But the sight of incoming owner Todd Boehly celebrating a Romelu Lukaku goals against Wolves with an ostentatious American-style fingers-in-mouth whistle suggests those supporters might soon be hankering back to quieter times. More