Sometimes, there are moments which at first seem insignificant, but in hindsight signalled the beginning of the downfall of a great team. Such a moment might just have taken place.
In a result which nobody could have seen coming, Manchester City registered a remarkable 4-0 victory over Liverpool. The Citizens dominated the Reds right from the opening whistle. Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, and Phil Foden scored three of City's goals; the fourth came by way of an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal.
Certainly, the past three seasons have seen Liverpool enjoy more success than they have in many years. This has been a stretch which has seen the Merseysiders reach two Champions League finals, winning one. They have also won one Premier League title while also finishing second in the league once as well. Not since their glory days of the 1980s have Liverpool had so much success in such a short span of time.
That being said, there are some points of concern which must be addressed. The first of these is if the current Liverpool roster has reached its ceiling and will never again approach the heights of the past few seasons. While this may be a surprising statement, consider the following: every single one of the few greatest club teams of all time had one, and usually more than one, inner-circle all-time greats. Think top 20 or so in the all-time rankings.
Real Madrid 1955-60: Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano
Bayern Munich 1970-75: Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller
AC Milan 1988-95: Marco van Basten, (arguably) Ruud Gullit, (arguably) Paolo Maldini
Barcelona 2008-15: Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, (arguably) Carles Puyol
Real Madrid 2013-18: Cristiano Ronaldo, (arguably) Iker Casillas
Looking at the current Liverpool team, it is highly unlikely that any of the players now on the roster will finish their careers as such a player. Probably the Liverpool player who will eventually have the highest all-time rankings when all is said and done is Virgil van Dijk. However, a final ranking of around the top 75 or maybe even 50 players ever is more realistic. Although more unlikely things have happened, the odds of the Dutchman's eventual reaching of the "pantheon" level are rather long indeed.
Liverpool must also be sure to avoid the temptation of over-emphasizing domestic league play. It is understandable that they might inadvertently do so, given the fact that prior to their most recent league title, they had not won the league in 30 years. However, this is a Liverpool team which is now chasing history. Years from now, the fact that this Liverpool team broke a 30-year league title drought will be but a mere footnote when compared to discussion about their Champions League performance. It is in the Champions League where the legacies of the greatest teams of all time are forged and burnished. Unfortunately for Liverpool, their Champions League title defense this season did not go according to plan. They were stunned in the round of 16 by an Atlético Madrid team which had not been expected to offer Liverpool much resistance.
With this in mind, Liverpool's Champions League campaign in the 2020-21 season could potentially be a legacy-defining one. A second title would elevate them into the realm of the greatest teams to have ever taken to the field. Another early exit, however, and they will likely be regarded as a great team in their own era, but no more than that.
Now, I won't belittle what Liverpool have accomplished since the 2017-18 season. Jürgen Klopp has proven that he is the world's best coach by turning what seemed to be a directionless, meandering team into the best team on the planet and one which is the envy of all. Players such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, and van Dijk have also turned into genuine superstars at Anfield.
That being said, it is also true that Liverpool have now reached a stage where they are trying to stamp their mark in football history. Time will tell if this loss to Manchester City is a turning point or just a speed bump on the long road to the "Mount Rushmore" of football. Will they get there in the end? It's possible, but they still have far to go.
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