'What have I done?' - Ex-Liverpool ace has experience of awkward Tottenham dilemma vs Man City
Liverpool heads into its final match of the season — and the Jürgen Klopp era — with nothing to play for in terms of league position. The Reds will finish third in the Premier League and bid farewell to the departing German against Wolves on Sunday.
Klopp's men were right in the title picture until the final weeks of the campaign, with Arsenal and Manchester City now battling out for the top prize. Mikel Arteta's men lead the way by a point with City still having two games to play, starting against Tottenham on Tuesday night.
That match also has implications for the top four, following Liverpool's draw with Aston Villa on Monday. Spurs must win both of their remaining fixtures to have any chance of finishing in the Champions League places.
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But victory against City will all but hand the title to Arsenal and many Tottenham supporters have suggested they would rather lose than see their fiercest rivals be crowned as champion.
Ange Postecoglou dismissed such a notion this week, insisting: "I will never, understand if someone wants their own team to lose. That's not what sport is about. Real success looks like trophies. Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever, it is absolutely meaningless to me."
It is a strange moral dilemma that has faced clubs in the past including Liverpool in the 1994/95 season. Blackburn, under Anfield icon Sir Kenny Dalglish, led Manchester United by two points going into its final day match at Anfield.
Many Reds supporters wanted the visitors to lift the title, which they ultimately did despite Jamie Redknapp scoring a stunning last-minute winner. The goal was barely celebrated by Liverpool fans inside Anfield and Redknapp told The Athletic: "We were so keen for United not to win the league, but we also wanted to play well and win our last game of the season.
"Once I scored, you could see my reaction. I thought: ‘Oh no, what have I done here? I’ve just given the title to Man United! I thought the fans would never forgive me. I wanted Kenny to win the league. Blackburn deserved it and had been the best team. Blackburn was champions, we won the game — it all worked out perfectly."
Liverpool.com says: Despite the thoughts of many Tottenham fans, Postecoglou's side will certainly go out to beat City. Whether they can or not, is a different story. Pep Guardiola's men have been irresistible of late and are on their usual run at the end of the season.
Liverpool knows all too well how dangerous City can be and you can achieve a perfect run of results, but it still may not be enough. That is how Arsenal will be feeling, having won 15 of 17 in the league since December.