Liverpool, Peluang Juara Melayang Meski Sempat Unggul 3-0
Liverpool`s Title Hopes in Tatters After Lose a Three Goal Lead
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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London (B2B) - Manajer Liverpool Brendan Rodgers harus merelakan gelar juara Liga Premier menjadi milik Manchester City setelah harapan Liverpool dimahkotai gelar juara liga menghadapi pukulan hebat setelah ditahan seri 3-3 oleh penjamunya Crystal Palace.
Pasukan Brendan Rodgers sebenarnya sudah memimpin tiga gol sampai 11 menit menjelang laga di Selhurst Park itu usai, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Hasil seri ini memang mengantarkan Liverpool ke puncak klasemen Liga Premier namun hanya membuatnya berselisih satu poin dari Manchester City yang menempati tempat kedua.
City memiliki dua pertandingan tersisa, yaitu di kandang melawan Aston Villa dan West Ham masing-masing esok Rabu dan Minggu nanti, sedangkan kubu Merseysiders hanya menyisakan satu pertandingan melawan Newcastle di Anfield akhir pekan ini.
"Ini sangat mengecewakan," kata Rodgers kepada Sky Sports menunjuk kebobolan tiga gol pada 11 menit terakhir ketika kemenangan sudah di pelupuk mata.
"Kami butuh kemenangan malam ini. Saya rasa Manchester City akan berlanjut dan memenangi gelar juara, dan mereka akan menjadi juara," kata dia lagi.
Rodgers menambahkan, "Selama 75 menit adalah penampilan yang luar biasa, kami menciptakan tiga gol. Kami dikecewakan oleh cara kami kemasukkan tiga gol, itu sungguh pertahanan yang buruk."
The Reds nyaris menang di London selatan setelah memimpin 3-0 sampai 11 menit menjelang laga usai berkat satu gol Joe Allen pada menit 18, dan dua gol di babak kedua masing-masing dari Daniel Sturridge pada menit 53 dan Luis Suarez pada menit 55.
Suarez yang asal Uruguay itu menyamai rekor gol terbanyak Liga Premier dengan mencetak 31 gol dalam satu musim berisikan 38 pertandingan tersebut.
Namun Palace terhindar dari degradasi ketika membalikkan pendulum pertandingan saat Dwight Gayle mencitpkan dua gol penyama kedudukan setelah Damien Delaney lebih dulu menciptakan satu gol pada menit 79.
Suarez tampak menangis, demikian pula para penggemar Liverpool karena mereka membayangkan impian meraih gelar juara Liga Utama Inggris pertama dalam 24 tahun musnah di depan mata mereka sendiri.
London - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his side would reflect on their season with pride despite seeing their title bid seriously compromised in a remarkable 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace.
Liverpool led 3-0 with 11 minutes remaining in Monday´s Premier League game at Selhurst Park, only for Palace to score three times in the closing stages to leave the visitors´ title challenge on the rocks.
Manchester City now require only four points from their last two games to effectively claim the championship and Rodgers conceded afterwards: "I think Manchester City will go on and win it."
Liverpool´s players were a picture of distress at the final whistle, with Luis Suarez covering his face with his shirt to hide his sobs and captain Steven Gerrard ushering away approaching television cameras.
Rodgers said that his side´s defending had been "criminal" and described the game´s final moments as "crazy".
But while he admitted that the disappointment of letting victory slip in such calamitous fashion was difficult to stomach, he said that Liverpool should not lose sight of the progress that they have made.
Asked if he was proud of his team, who had finished a distant seventh last season, Rodgers said: "Incredibly.
"It´s 99 goals we´re on, this season. The season before I came in (in June 2012), the team had finished on 47. For us to keep improving like we have been gives me immense pride.
"When we´ve got time to reflect on this at the end of the season, we will see it has been an outstanding season for Liverpool.
"It does not take away the pain of now, but we will look where we need to improve and continue to get better.
"We have made great strides, but I am certainly here to fight and win titles and I will be relentless in that."
