Liverpool can now confidently claim that it will win the Premier League this season. Nonetheless, Michael Owen has led a strange investigation into the campaign’s true merits, and Ibrahima Konate has now made the squad’s feelings clear.
For 85 of the Football League’s 92 members, winning the Premier League is just a dream. It’s difficult to see how it could be considered anything other than a major accomplishment, especially given Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield.
It’s not like Liverpool is in the same situation as Manchester City, which enters each season as almost the default winner. This victory was unexpected, with preseason speculation centered on whether Slot could remain in the Champions League after taking over from a legend like Jurgen Klopp.
But, as has been the case in recent seasons, Liverpool finds itself on the wrong end of its own success. After making significant progress on multiple fronts, there was much premature talk of trebles and quadruples (though not within the walls of the AXA Training Centre), laying the groundwork for the campaign to be portrayed as somewhat of an anticlimax.
Owen even suggested that winning the Premier League might leave a “bitter taste” after the cup exits. He speculated that the players may regret the opportunity to do something “special”.
It was certainly disappointing to be eliminated from the Champions League in the Round of 16, after winning the new league phase. The Wembley defeat to Newcastle was also a major disappointment.
But any season with the Premier League up for grabs is fantastic. That is true for any club, but perhaps even more so for a Liverpool squad made up of players who have never won it and have only been able to celebrate under lockdown conditions.
Virgil van Dijk quickly put Owen in his place. “So you’re saying this season isn’t going to be special anymore?” he asked the former Liverpool striker.
“Well, I think we need to change that narrative a little. We’re fighting for the season’s biggest prize; we’ve worked so hard for it, and 20 other teams are working just as hard to win the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, Van Dijk’s defensive partner had already doubled down on his attitude. Speaking ahead of the Merseyside derby two weeks ago, Konate told Sky Sports that the Liverpool dressing room is not downplaying its own achievements.
“Exactly,” Konate insisted when told Liverpool had defied expectations to reach this point. “I completely agree — and if you ask every player or every fan what they will choose [from] play for every trophy but you don’t know what you will get at the end of the season or maybe a chance to win the Premier League, I believe they would all say, yes, maybe a chance to win the Premier League.
“We don’t have to listen to the media and conclude that because we didn’t win the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, or were knocked out of the Champions League, we had a bad season. No one expected us to be where we are today.
That is unquestionably true. None of the BBC’s 30 pundits predicted Liverpool to win the league, and only one predicted Slot’s side would finish in the top two.
And Konate is undoubtedly correct in claiming that most players would prefer a strong shot at the Premier League over unknown outcomes in multiple competitions. Outside of the strange pundit bubble, winning the world’s best league is regarded as a significant accomplishment on its own.
So when Liverpool wins its 20th Premier League title, the celebrations will undoubtedly be led by Konate and Van Dijk. Regardless of outside noise, the team understands how special this season is.
