Liverpool’s lineup for their all or nothing clash against Wolves has been announced, the race for the Premier League title is now within inches of the finishing line. Jurgen Klopp has made two changes to the side that thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League; Gini Wijnaldum’s heroics on Tuesday night have earned him a starting place over James Milner. Divock Origi has also maintained his position in the starting eleven after his wonderful performance against the Spanish giants. Left-back Andrew Robertson is starting against Wolves today, the Scotsman was forced off with an injury against Barcelona and the ace would have been a massive miss today. Liverpool fans have superstar Mohamed Salah back, the Egyptian missed the mammoth clash against Barcelona with a injury. In other news, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continues his return from injury by being named on the bench, the Liverpool faithful will want to see the England international get some minutes today. The Reds need to win today in order to have a chance of lifting the title, Jurgen Klopp’s men will also be hoping that Manchester City are stunned by Brighton. Check out the lineup below: ? TEAM NEWS ? Our final @premierleague starting line-up of the season, as we take on @Wolves. ? #LIVWOL — Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 12, 2019 Overcoming Wolves will be no easy task for Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have a phenomenal record against the top six teams in the league and the Wanderers will be aiming to finish their season on a high by claiming another one of the big boys’ scalps. Here’s some reaction to the teamsheet: ROBBO AND SALAH SIIIIUUUUUU — Steve (@GenuineGini_) May 12, 2019 Decent line up, love you — ??? † (@kopite__1892) May 12, 2019 What a lineup inject that straight in my veins — Conor (@conorjns) May 12, 2019 Robbooooooooo ?????? — Milky X (@MilkyXFC) May 12, 2019 ROBERTSON INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS JAMESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS — Donk – FUT Trader?? (@FUTDonk) May 12, 2019 Strong ? — Paul Smith (@Headcoach_) May 12, 2019 @LFC @JurgenOfficial COME ON LIVERPOOL LETS WIN THE TITLE TODAY — KATIE BATEMAN (@WillYoung_fan1) May 12, 2019 I believe — Dean Delaney (@DeanDelaney19) May 12, 2019 bring it home boys — Lord Insecurity IV (@americaneedshim) May 12, 2019 Will today be the day that the Reds win their first league title in over 29 years?<doc-sep>Jürgen Klopp promised Liverpool will give everything again next season after falling just short in their pursuit of the Premier League title. A 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield – secured through a Sadio Mane double – lifted the Reds up to a final total of 97 points but they finished one behind Manchester City in the table. In his post-match press conference, Klopp expressed his pride in the remarkable efforts of his players across the 38 games – which included 30 wins and a single defeat. The manager also explained his belief that Liverpool can improve again when they aim to go one better in the 2019-20 season. Read a transcript of Klopp’s press conference below… On his feelings after the game… I said it now 20 times already: mixed. First and foremost, I have to say congratulations to City. I’ve said it a couple of times but I don’t want any broadcaster to miss that because that’s important, they played an incredible season. We did as well, but they won it and congratulations to Pep [Guardiola] and all the people at Manchester City. Our season was good as well, a really good season, an unbelievable season. I can read all the stats, I can read all the numbers, it’s just really exceptional. The nice thing is if you would get an award for the biggest development jump I can remember, the boys would get that because it was completely different. We used the base from last year but made a big step, unbelievable, and there’s still a bit to come. It doesn’t feel like this in the moment, it’s not a moment for already telling people what they can think; everybody knows we will go again, 100 per cent. But in this moment, if you really want something you feel the disappointment as well. That’s of course what we feel in the moment. It was nice to have the lap of appreciation, which you usually wouldn’t have after a situation like that, you go together with the families of the players and look at all the faces. I didn’t see anybody really on the ground, to be honest, completely done – people really loved what the boys did over the year. That’s already special after such a long season with all the things you could say about us and this club. We can decide how we deal with that and which information we can take out of that, nobody else can decide that. If we are ready to make the next step, we will make the next step. That’s the plan from tomorrow on. On whether it was easy to deal with hearing the score of the City game… No, obviously not. It’s difficult to prepare a team for a situation like that – to say, ‘OK, if we score and Brighton score, stay calm.’ How can you know exactly how the crowd will react? I thought it was the equaliser of Brighton, but they were obviously 1-0 up. I had no clue about that. It was a little boost in a very good atmosphere, going nuts. And then it was difficult, you could see it; Wolves used that actually in the situation. Until then, we were really there, we controlled the game, we scored the goal and everything was fine, Wolves could not really get us. But then the 1-0 for Brighton opened the door for Wolves a little bit. But then it calmed down, it was clear when the atmosphere is not that ecstatic anymore then something happened at Brighton that we don’t like. For us, I tried to take it like this. We only wanted to have 97 points and look after the game and [see] what it means for us then. But it’s easy to stand on the sideline and say that, it’s completely different to do it on the pitch. But I’m fine with the performance, not that it’s really important to judge it today. It’s another important thing. In very difficult circumstances, we won against a very strong Wolverhampton side 2-0. It’s impressive again, it’s just really, really good. On any concern this is as good a season possible without winning the league… No, I’m not worried. That was the season we played and next year we will play another season, a different season. That’s clear already. As long as City are around, with the quality they have, the financial power and all that stuff, it’s not that any other team will pass them easily, that’s clear. You need to be very, very close to perfection to win the Premier League as long as this is the case. But we made unbelievably big steps and I really expect more to come, that’s the truth. What that means at the end, I don’t know. But if you see whatever happens to you in life as the only chance you ever had, I feel a bit for you, to be honest. There’s a lot to come, a lot of years and it’s all about you, what you do with it – and that’s what we do with it. People will tell us now it’s 30 years [since Liverpool won the league] but they have bigger problems, to be honest, all the people who will say that. We will go again. This team tried it for the first time and I really think they did quite impressively to try the first time. And, on this road, to qualify for the Champions League final is pretty special. This team is one of the best that ever played for Liverpool, 100 per cent. But we play in a league with other very good teams, that’s what we have to accept and we do accept, no problem. We will go again, 100 per cent. But give me at least a few hours to come over that today. On Alisson winning the Golden Glove award and the other individual accolades the players collected… [It’s] very [impressive]. It always helps when a goalie makes a few saves. 21 clean sheets is quite impressive, well deserved. Virg won an award, I didn’t know before but I saw him carrying a boot; Trent smashed all stats for assists for full-backs and Robbo was close and nearly scored today; we have two of the top goalscorers, right? Look, if I would start telling you all the positive things I can say about this team we would sit here until an hour before the Champions League final starts, that’s the truth. It’s not really the moment for that; we know it and we feel it, it’s disappointing. Watch: Alisson collects Golden Glove It’s not a wonderful moment, it’s not exactly like that, but we have enough time to find out, to see exactly, and feel maybe how brilliant the season was. It was brilliant, 97 points is incredible, and only because City are there it was not enough. In each other country, it would have been easily enough. But here, that’s how it is, no problem with that because that’s the competition we are in. It’s not a competition of 30 years ago, 20 years ago or 10 years ago, that’s completely different. These boys were really ready for it and they have my maximum respect. Not only them because I have to say, a lot of people say about the Liverpool supporters that they are so desperate about winning the league and stuff like that, but how they followed this path, how they followed this way, is just incredible. This club is in the best moment for a long, long time and it will not end because there is one team with a point more. We will keep going and then we will see what we get for that. If you would have thought before the season that we will have 97 points, everybody would have taken it. But then, somebody decided there’s another team with 98 points, so that’s how it is. Watch: Mane and Salah win Golden Boot On whether the team can draw on their experiences in the Champions League to challenge for the title again next season…<doc-sep>The wait goes on. It has been magnificent at times, and there is no arguing with the tally of 97 points, or the single defeat all season, or the Champions League final that awaits, although when the hope ran out at last, thoughts inevitably turned to how Liverpool will respond. Jurgen Klopp delighted later in the way his team pushed on for the second goal of the game as around them they could tell from the mood of the stadium that Manchester City had finished the job at Brighton. He said that this was the face that his team showed to the world, one in which they would continue to do their thing right up until the games had finally run out and there was no catching the team who won it by a single point. “In that moment we decided how much we enjoyed our season,” Klopp said, “and I enjoyed it a lot.” That his team had gone on to win this game, their ninth straight consecutive league victory, regardless of the events elsewhere was a consolation - but it was just a small one. He knows that he and his players will be judged now on how they respond, and he declared that held no fear for him. For now one of sport’s longest standing quests, Liverpool's pursuit of a league championship trophy, goes into its 30th year. The title that they once used to bring home habitually remains just out of reach, a tantalising possibility periodically glimpsed and always permitted to slip away. Once the most successful club in the country in that regard by a long chalk, they could have their sixth European Cup come June 1, twice as many as their closest domestic rival Manchester United. Yet even that will not quite compensate for what was lost on this sunny Merseyside afternoon. There was a brief period when it felt in Anfield that perhaps - impossibly, incredibly - this might be the time. It lasted roughly two minutes. There are only a few goals scored this season that have had quite such an effect on Anfield as the one that Glenn Murray struck for Brighton at 3.27pm. At first the home crowd did not want to be too credulous, and then as timelines were refreshed, and friends consulted, the roar grew and grew.<doc-sep>
Liverpool host Wolves on the final day of the Premier League looking for fortune to favour them in the title race. Here are the key stats and facts ahead of kickoff. Liverpool’s Final-Day Record Since returning to the top flight in 1962, Liverpool have played their final league game of the season at Anfield on 22 occasions. The Reds have won 14 and lost just twice—in 1967 against Blackpool and at the hands of Arsenal in 1989. In the Premier League era they have won 10 and drawn two with no defeats. Their biggest final-day victories at Anfield came in 1913 against Bolton and in 2002 against Ipswich—winning both matches 5-0. In the last two seasons the Reds had to beat Middlesbrough and Brighton on the final day to secure a Champions League place. Van Dijk’s Ever-Presence Virgil van Dijk could become the first outfield player since Martin Skrtel in 2010/11 to play for the Reds in every match of a Premier League campaign. Alisson could also be a league ever-present in his first season at Anfield. Start Origi? Divock Origi has scored for the Reds in both of his appearances against Wolves. He has scored three goals in his last two Liverpool appearances (110 minutes of action). Salah’s Historic Golden Boot Mohamed Salah goes into the final day leading the race for the Golden Boot by two goals. He has 22, with Sergio Aguero, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mane all on 20. Should he finish with most goals he will become the first Liverpool player in history to be the top flight’s leading scorer in successive seasons. Incredible Alisson’s Golden Glove Fight Alisson could play his 50th game for the Reds in all competitions. He has kept five clean sheets in his last eight matches and three in his last four in the top flight. A clean sheet for him in this encounter will see him keep 21 for the league campaign—the most by any Reds ‘keeper since Ray Clemence (28 in 1978/79). If he prevents Wolves from scoring he will be guaranteed to finish as joint-winner of the Golden Glove at the very least. He and fellow Brazilian, Ederson of Man City, have both kept 20. Only once before in the Premier League era have the Reds kept more than 20 clean sheets in a season—22 in 2005/06. With two games still to play this season Liverpool have conceded 38 goals in all competitions. It is the lowest scored against them since 36 in 1999/00 when they played 10 games fewer. Since then the lowest is 43 in 2005/06. Wolves on the Road Wolves team have won six times away from home in the league this season—the last at Watford (2-1) last time out. They have scored 19 times on the road this season‚the lowest total of any team in the top half of the table. Only Liverpool and Man City have conceded fewer goals away from home than Wolves’ 23, while those two clubs are the only ones to have lost fewer away than the seven that Wolves have. A Record-Breaking Campaign in Numbers Liverpool could go unbeaten at home for a second successive league season for the first time since 1979/80. One goal today will see Liverpool record their highest tally of goals in a home league campaign since 1985/86 when they scored 58 in 21 matches. They currently have 53 in 18 Anfield games. The Reds’ current goal difference is +65. The club record for a top-flight season is +69 which was achieved in the 42-game campaign of 1978/79. If Liverpool concede fewer than three goals today they will record their best defensive record in the Premier League era. They have shipped 22 this season. They conceded 25 in 2005/06. The record is 16 in that 1978/79 season. Only once since 1985/86 have the Reds scored more than 89 times in a league season (they scored 101 in 2013/14). They currently have 87, a tally the 1987/88 team attained. Liverpool have now earned more points this season than 111 of the previous 119 league champions. Should they win today they will increase that number to 116.