2020/21 REPORT

League Position: 3rd

Top League Goalscorer: Mohamed Salah (22)

Stadium: Anfield Stadium, Anfield Rd, Liverpool, L4 0TH

Capacity: 53,300

The previous year, in a season that stopped and started due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Reds were crowned champions for the first time in 30 years. Last term, injuries hampered their progress as they failed to win back-to-back titles. Despite a defence that was torn apart through injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, they still pushed to a third-place finish.

A 12-game unbeaten run through October and December was stopped by a run of eight defeats in 12 games. That damaged their campaign irreversibly as Manchester City took a commanding lead at the top. In the Emirates FA Cup, it was a similar story. A win over Aston Villa in the Third Round was followed by a disappointing defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Carabao Cup was identical. Despite a 7-2 hammering of Lincoln City in the Third Round, they came unstuck to Arsenal in the Fourth. They lost on penalties, Rhian Brewster missing the decisive kick in a 5-4 defeat.

In the UEFA Champions League, they topped their group. The Reds put a total of 10 goals past Ajax, FC Midtjylland and Atalanta combined, conceding just three. They also swept RB Leipzig aside 4-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Real Madrid proved a step too far in the Quarter-Finals though, Liverpool losing 3-1 on aggregate, which included a goalless second leg at Anfield.

THE MANAGER

Jurgen Klopp was a utility player in his professional days, the large majority of that time spent at Mainz 05 in Germany.

Retiring in 2001, he became the Manager at 05, winning them promotion to the Bundesliga just three years later. Relegation came in 2007, Klopp resigning a year later after failing to get them re-promoted to the top-flight. He was the longest-serving manager in club history.

He joined Borussia Dortmund, guiding them to the Bundesliga title in 2011, winning Dortmund's first-ever domestic double during a record-breaking season the following year. Klopp also took them to the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final, losing to Bayern Munich at Wembley, before leaving in 2015 also as their longest-serving manager.

Klopp was then appointed to his current role at Liverpool. He took them to back-to-back Champions League Finals, winning the second in 2019. The following season, Klopp's side captured the UEFA Super Cup and Liverpool's first FIFA Club World Cup. They also won the Premier League title. These achievements won him back-to-back FIFA Coach of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020.

LAST MEETING

Anfield was the host of our previous match with The Reds, an FA Cup Sixth Round tie on 18 March 1989. It ended 4-0 to the home side, a brace from Peter Beardsley adding to strikes from Steve McMahon and John Barnes.

Bees: Parks; Feeley (Bates 83), Stanislaus, Millen, Evans; Cockram, Jones, Sinton, Cadette; Blissett, Godfrey (Sealy 75)

Liverpool: Grobbelaar; Ablett, Staunton, Nicol, Whelan; Gillespie, Beardsley, Aldridge, Houghton; Barnes, McMahon