Last weekend’s Premier League and FA Cup fixtures produced late goals, late drama and everything in between.
Only Watford can lay claim to a more nervous win this weekend than Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
After the long weekend of football, we look at the talking points from the fixtures, and how they affect the Reds moving forward.
Is Roy Hodgson’s gain Liverpool’s pain?
A day before Liverpool kick off against Chelsea this weekend, Manchester City visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Kopites will be hoping this banana skin trips City up in the title race.
Roy Hodgson’s side almost sparked an earthquake on Merseyside after their shock 3-2 victory at the Etihad in December.
If they can repeat the feat here, it will certainly measure on the Richter scale.
The question on every lips remains: has their win over Newcastle changed the landscape?
After Luka Milivojevic’s late winner on Tyneside, Palace sit 11 points from the drop having played a game more than Cardiff.
With safety almost guaranteed, will Palace be on the beach already?
One would hope not.
Yet, so often, Roy Hodgson’s gain has been Liverpool’s misery.
Think his appointment at Anfield for a start.
Add Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen and selling the wrong Alex into the mix, and you’ve got enough examples to ruin your day.
Those awful memories aside, if the wily manager can produce a famous night at Selhurst, all may be forgiven come May.
Has Eden Hazard hit form just at the wrong time?
Wouldn’t you just know it.
As Chelsea travel to Anfield for Sunday’s crucial encounter, Eden Hazard has decided to shift back into top form.
Hazard has been a constant thorn in Liverpool’s side since his arrival from Lille and looked dominant against West Ham on Monday.
The Belgian produced a stunning display, including a brilliant solo goal to open proceedings. Not stopping there, he added a second in added time to sew up the three points.
(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file)
It adds another layer of anxiety for Reds fans, fearing the worst ahead of their toughest remaining fixture.
Since their previous meeting in September, Liverpool’s defence has improved. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and co will have their hands full to keep out the red-hot Hazard.
Exorbitant ticket prices or fickle fans?
Manchester City fans arrived at Wembley in style, dressing up as red seats during their win over Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final.
Over 2000 tickets remained unsold in the City end, prompting sneering and criticism from rival supporters.
Some will argue City are a smaller club skyrocketed to the top by incredible wealth, supported by fair-weather fans.
There were also hundreds of empty seats for their fixture against Cardiff last week. So much for being in the midst of a nail-biting title race.
Can you remember the last time Liverpool or Man United returned tickets to the FA, unable to sell them?
Remaining tickets were a ridiculous £80, which is a whole another debate in itself.
However, it is the same for all fans around the country.
A matter of affordability or a club followed by those who pick and choose, rather than living and die by their side?
I’ll let you decide.
Is Troy Deeney the most likeable guy in football?
For a big, hulking, throwback centre forward, Troy Deeney is one of the more humble and admirable figures in English football. Except if you’re a Wolves fan!
The Watford captain smashed home the equaliser in stoppage time before the Hornets sealed the comeback with a Gerard Deulofeu winner in stoppage time.
Reds fans could’ve done without the ex-Everton product’s match-winning display, although Deeney’s post-match comments put everything into perspective.
Just seven years ago, Deeney spent three months in prison, and three years prior to that paid “10 pound a week to play football”.
It’s not often fairy tales like this occur in football, and it’s yet another reason to root for Man City’s FA Cup demise.
Are Arsenal suffering from ghosts past?
Before Arsenal ventured to the blue side of Stanley Park, spirits were buoyed. An opportunity to further embed themselves within the top four laid at their feet.
With Manchester United and Tottenham having played midweek, this was Arsenal’s chance to make a statement of intent.
So of course, they went 90 minutes without a whimper. They would’ve done better not to step off the bus.
Unai Emery’s side were horrible from start to finish, unable to play with any coherence or energy.
This was a typical performance of Arsenal under Arsene Wenger, needing a big display away from home with precious points on line, and ultimately failing miserably in result and performance.
Can Emery change the lingering culture at the Emirates?
That is yet to be decided.
Andre Leslie
Roar Guru
It's been interesting to see modern, bankrolled clubs in the Bundesliga... like Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig etc. They started at the top level with pretty uninspired fan bases who barely came to games. But as they established themselves and enjoyed some success, their fans certainly have become more vocal and more bold. It shows that ... sometimes ...money can buy fans.
Patrick Djordjevic
Roar Rookie
That attendance is over-inflated. City have been known to do that on the regular. I'd recommend having a look at some of the footage/photos to gain a greater insight. The Cardiff fans weren't the reason it looked empty!
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
City got 53,500 (or thereabouts) for the Cardiff game, which is only about 1,500 less than the Etihad's capacity. I'd suggest those empty seats were most likely to be in the away end, as there wouldn't be too many Cardiff fans willing to spend £30.00 on a ticket, and travel 4-5 hours in the car (or 3-4 hours by train), on a freezing cold Wednesday night, to watch their relegation-threatened team likely get thrashed by the current champions.
Patrick Djordjevic
Roar Rookie
I understand the FA Cup point. Riddle me how they can fail to fill out the Etihad at home Premier League games in the midst of a title race. Prime example Cardiff midweek just a fortnight ago. Cost can't be an issue there. It was an 8pm kickoff at home. So can't use work as an excuse. City do have passionate fans, but for 'the size' of the club, their fans don't reach the same heights. Would Liverpool, Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Spurs, Everton etc. turn up as empty seats during a title race? I don't think so.
Patrick Djordjevic
Roar Rookie
That's very true. I think they're largely fickle. Whilst I don't totally agree, I can see the logic behind arguments for their showing - or lack thereof - at Wembley. I can't wrap my head around how they can excuse the empty seats at home to Cardiff. Complacent. Fair-weather. Fickle. Dispassionate. Call it what you want, but not a good look for a club that believes they're as big as their neighbours.
Patrick Djordjevic
Roar Rookie
Agreed that the FA Cup isn't a priority for City. Yet it's not a priority for any of the other big clubs. Name me one of the top six who wouldn't sell out Wembley bar City... Chelsea can certainly be accused of being skyrocketed by money, but care to explain how the Etihad was half empty against Cardiff. They're in the midst of a gripping title race. It's quite frankly embarrassing.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
There are many things one can accuse Man City of: being a PR exercise for a despotic regime; using their owner’s billions to accumulate some of the best players, coaches & manager in the world; out-spending pretty much all of their similarly cashed-up rivals on their way to becoming one of Europe’s top sides; bending FFP rules with some conveniently lucrative sponsorship deals that effectively launder money through the club; their owners’ takeover & rebranding of clubs in other countries… But, one could never accuse City of having fickle fans; nor could anyone accuse them of being a “smaller club”. The punchline about sticking with your club “through thin & thin” could’ve been written for City fans, and even while floundering around England’s third tier the club regularly pulled in some of the largest gates in Europe. City fans have tolerated some of the bleakest times of any of England’s larger clubs (and I say that as a Sunderland fan!). They’ve had mediocre players, worse managers, appalling owners, and yet, still they go to matches in their droves; & for a long while having to watch as their near-neighbours United dominated European football & hoovered up trophies. I’d imagine the real reasons for their less than stellar attendance would come down to the price of the tickets, the dwindling appeal of the FA Cup, and the fact that the club were playing four games in two weeks, three of which were in London. Fickle? Pfft.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
I see what you did there. You need help.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Back in the early days of the A-League, circa 2006-07, Simon Hill was the only bloke on Earth I knew who supported Man City. Soon after, the petro dollars started flowing in, and all of a sudden, there were millions of Man City fans all around the world. They might call themselves passionate fans, but how much passion are you going to muster over the course of one decade?
reuster75
Guest
Back when they were still playing at Maine Road they spent a season in the 3rd division of English football and yet still averaged crowds of in excess of 30,000 so to accuse them of only having 'bandwagon' fans is a bit harsh. This morning's game in the champions league City sold out their away allocation which is pretty impressive given it's their 2nd game in London in 72 hours. The reality is the FA Cup is not the priority it was for hardly any club in the top two divisions now and that 80 pounds for a ticket is ridiculously expensive and given that City were never going to lose a lot of fans probably decided to save their money for the final. If you want to talk small clubs skyrocketed by a wealthy owner and fickle fans then step forward Chelsea.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Money can't buy you fans!