Liverpool FC is on the threshold of the most significant ninety minute period of their entire season. It will eclipse their meeting with Manchester City, who was sent home with a 3-2 defeat.
This game now stands as the final true test and may decide once and for all if the Merseyside club will be Barclays Premier League champions.
Almost all eyes will be on their Anfield meeting with Chelsea FC. To the surprise of many, it is now the London team that is the “dark horse” in the title race. Meanwhile Arsenal FC is fighting to ensure a fourth place finish despite leading the league for a large portion of the season.
No one could have predicted it would be Liverpool and Man City locked in a battle for the title. And even now many have named the Reds a heavy favorite.
However, there are still nine points between this Liverpool team and what could be their greatest season in Premier League history. Seven of those points are essential for ensuring Liverpool finish with enough points to win the title.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has already achieved his goal for the 2013-14 season: Bring Champions League football back to LFC.
With what once seemed like a tall order already taken care of (Liverpool will finish no lower than third place), any additional honors will be seen as a wonderful bonus.
Despite being heavy favorites, it’s dangerous to speak of the title as already won. Many fans are confident of winning it all, but anything can happen in football.
Chelsea FC still has a semifinal leg of Champions League football to complete and after a scoreless draw with Atlético Madrid, many expect manager Jose Mourinho to field a weakened starting eleven.
As Rodgers pointed out, even a “weakened” Chelsea squad will be filled with expensive and experienced champions. They will be a team of formidable opponents and it should be expected that Liverpool will treat them as such.
The Manchester title rivals came to Liverpool and left empty-handed a couple of weeks ago, as have virtually every other team this year. It could be that Chelsea proves the exception. Liverpool do not have nearly as much pressure. They can win or draw against the London squad and win the league.
Only a loss will put them back at the mercy of the Sky Blues, who could finish in first on goal difference.
Win, lose, or draw: Tomorrow will be the most important outcome of the season for Liverpool FC, and perhaps the most important game ever played in the club’s Premier League history.
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