The Merseyside Reds propelled themselves into contention for championship honors during the 2013/14 campaign under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, as an attacking force led by Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge propelled them to the league’s summit as the season reached its climax.
The Citizens of Manchester only occupied the Premier League’s top spot for a mere three weeks, yet they orchestrated their championship pursuit flawlessly, concluding weeks 37 and 38 as league leaders. Their ascent to the pinnacle initially occurred during the opening weekend, only to relinquish their position the subsequent week.
On the flip side, the Anfield side emerged as the frontrunners for the title following a sequence that witnessed them securing 14 victories out of 16, encompassing a streak of 11 consecutive triumphs.
Steven Gerrard says Liverpool slip-up still ‘haunts’ him
Nevertheless, a 2-0 setback at Anfield against Chelsea in April 2014 is extensively regarded as the juncture when Liverpool’s aspirations of clinching the title slipped away, despite their triumph over Man City with a score of 3-2 at Anfield a fortnight prior.
Gerrard’s misstep at the halfway line, which subsequently paved the way for Chelsea’s striker, Demba Ba, to surge forward and secure a goal, has since evolved into a terrace anthem embraced by Man City supporters and adopted by enthusiasts of numerous other clubs. It is widely acknowledged as an emblematic and regrettable Premier League moment for the former Reds captain.
The Rodgers-led squad followed their defeat at the hands of the Blues by establishing a three-goal advantage on the road against Crystal Palace. However, they relinquished their lead by conceding three late goals at Selhurst Park, resulting in Suarez being visibly distraught and Gerrard deflecting television cameras.
Eventually, Man City secured the league title with a two-point margin, emphatically defeating Aston Villa and West Ham United on the final day. They concluded the season with only one defeat in their last 14 encounters, ironically against Gerrard’s Liverpool.
“We ought to have clinched a league title,” Gerrard expressed on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. “Evidently, 2014, once more, that particular episode continues to haunt me. Naturally, I frequently allude to it. Yet, even prior to that, I am of the opinion that we should have secured one.
“We were deserving of one. Nevertheless, in our case, we had Fergie and the United squad [to contend with], the Class of ’92, all of whom were premier league players of exceptional caliber. It is not a matter of mere chance, but we never possessed a similar ensemble at Liverpool, where seven or eight players were operating at that elevated level.”
Gerrard concluded his tenure with Liverpool without having secured a Premier League title, but he played a pivotal role in the Reds’ Champions League victory in 2005. Furthermore, he clinched two FA Cups and three League Cups during his time with the club.
“I never perceived our Liverpool squad as possessing the same level of strength as [Man United]. I consistently felt that we were compelled to exert extraordinary effort to attain a positive outcome against you. That was the prevailing sentiment,” he further expressed.
