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LIVERPOOL AGREE DEAL WITH PSV FOR NETHERLANDS FORWARD CODY GAKPO

PSV have announced they have reached an agreement with Liverpool over the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo.

The Netherlands attacker starred at the World Cup, scoring three goals in Qatar, and is now on his way to England to finalise a switch to Merseyside.

“PSV and Liverpool have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo,” an official club statement read.

“The 23-year-old attacker will leave for England imminently where he will be subjected to the necessary formalities ahead of the completion of the transfer.”

PSV general manager Marcel Brands confirmed Gakpo’s anticipated transfer would be a “record” for the Eredivisie club.

Hirving Lozano’s move to Napoli in 2019 for a reported 42 million euros was the previous highest sale by the Dutch outfit.

A club statement added: “Both clubs are not making any announcements about the transfer fee.”

“But this is a record transfer for PSV,” said general manager Brands.

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UEFA TO INVESTIGATE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL CHAOS

UEFA announced on Monday it was opening an “independent report” into the security chaos before the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris. European football’s governing body said the report would “examine decision making, responsibility and behaviours of all entities involved in the final”.

UEFA have appointed Portuguese politician Tiago Brandao Rodrigues to oversee the report on a pro bono basis on the completion of which they will decide upon a course of action. “Evidence will be gathered from all relevant parties,” UEFA said.

“The findings of the independent report will be made public,” it promised.

Brandao Rodrigues has served as Portuguese Minister of Education, was a member of the World Anti-doping Agency and was Portugal’s Olympic attaché during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

France on Monday blamed “massive” ticket fraud for the chaotic scenes that marred the Champions League final on Saturday which saw Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0.

But the French government has faced a barrage of criticism from press and politicians in Britain over the policing of the match.

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EVERTON BOSS FRANK LAMPARD GETS FINED FOR SLAMMING REFEREE IN LIVERPOOL DEFEAT

Everton manager Frank Lampard has been fined £30,000 ($37,779) for criticising the referee during his side’s defeat to Liverpool in last month’s Merseyside derby, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.

Referee Stuart Attwell did not award a penalty for a challenge on Everton’s Anthony Gordon, and Lampard said the spot kick would have been given had the challenge been made on a Liverpool player.

“It was a penalty, you don’t get them at Anfield,” Lampard said after the match. “If that was Mohamed Salah at the Kop end, I think [the referee] gives that. It was a foul on Anthony.”

Earlier this month, the FA charged Lampard with improper conduct for attacking the integrity of referees.

The 43-year-old denied the charge and has now been fined “for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to media comments proven during a personal hearing,” the FA said in a statement.

“The Everton FC manager… denied that they constitute improper conduct as they imply bias and/or attack the integrity of the match referee — or referees generally — and/or bring the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1,” the FA added.

Lampard took over at Goodison Park in January with the club hovering above the Premier League relegation zone, but the English coach steered the side to a 16th place finish, securing their top-flight status for next season.

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LIVERPOOL WANT PARIS STADIUM CHAOS INVESTIGATED

Liverpool have called for a formal investigation into what led to large numbers of the club’s fans being stuck outside the perimeter fence for up to three hours before kick-off at the Champions League final in Paris.

The club said the entry issues at the Stade de France and the breakdown of the security perimeter were “hugely disappointing”, with the French authorities and UEFA saying supporters without tickets or with fakes were responsible for causing the delays.

Tear gas was used on the fans waiting at the fence, despite Merseyside Police observers saying the majority of supporters had behaved in an “exemplary” manner there, and it was reportedly deployed again at the fan zone on the Cours de Vincennes immediately after the final whistle.

UEFA said the delays were caused by “thousands of fans” trying to gain entry with fake tickets which would not work in the turnstiles. The Paris police prefecture said these supporters “employed strong force” in an attempt to gain entry and delayed the entrance of those with genuine tickets.

The police said others then sought to capitalise on this and breached the fences.

“The rapid intervention of security forces allowed calm to return and helped remove the disruptors from the surroundings of the Stade de France,” a force statement read.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said a friend who he had given a genuine ticket to was told it was a fake.

Kelly Simmons, the women’s professional game director at the Football Association, was caught up in the chaos.

“Crushed on the way in, unable to move for 90 mins. Face wedged against someone in front. Absolutely terrifying. Tear-gassed on the way out as we were near a v minor skirmish. A night from hell #paris” she tweeted.

She added in a further tweet: “My legs were like jelly and had to keep sitting down in the game. All I could think was we have to get out at the end. All the fans near me in that crush behaved impeccably calling for calm/no panic. It was just sheer volume and nowhere to go as no gates open.”

French police inside the fence used tear gas on fans outside after Gate Y, one of the two main gates on a narrow walkway which 20,000 supporters were trying to access, was closed for up to an hour in the lead up to kick-off in response to the growing frustration of fans queueing to get in and being delayed by problems scanning tickets and security searches.

Liverpool are understood to be furious at UEFA’s “totally inaccurate” initial blaming of the delayed start on the late arrival of fans.

Supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly described the scenes as “totally shambolic and extremely dangerous”.

And the problems did not end there for fans as after the 1-0 defeat many were reportedly assaulted and robbed by local youths on the 10-minute walk back to train stations.

Former Liverpool defender and now television pundit Jim Beglin said people were running “a gauntlet of thuggery”.

“Post-match last night was the scariest I’ve ever experienced,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Organised gangs set about mugging departing fans. We ran a gauntlet of thuggery on our way to the Metro. Not a police officer in sight.

Merseyside Police, who had officers deployed in Paris to work in an observer and advisory capacity, said the majority of fans had behaved in an “exemplary” manner, arrived at turnstiles early and queued as directed.

They said those officers would contribute their observations to the relevant authorities for the debrief.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Green said: “We know that people would have witnessed a lot of distressing scenes last night, and we wish everyone returning home from Paris a safe journey. Our focus today will be supporting Liverpool city council with the policing of the homecoming parade.”

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston tweeted: “We are very concerned about the upsetting scenes around the Stade de France last night and shall be working with the appropriate authorities to find out what happened and why.”

France’s minister for the interior Gerald Darmanin attended Saturday night’s game and blamed the chaos on ticketless British fans.

“Thousands of British ‘supporters’, without tickets or with counterfeit tickets, forced entry and sometimes assaulted the stewards,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Thank you to the very many police forces mobilised this evening in this difficult context.”

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PARIS DISAPPOINTMENT WILL MAKE US STRONGER – JORDAN HENDERSON

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson admits another Champions League defeat to Real Madrid is difficult to process but believes recent history repeating itself may not be such a bad thing.

In 2018 in Kyiv, Jurgen Klopp’s side were beaten 3-1 after two freakish goals from Gareth Bale but went on to win a sixth European Cup 12 months later with victory over Tottenham and followed that up the next year with a first league title in 30 years.

So Henderson hopes the 1-0 defeat at the Stade de France to a LaLiga side winning the competition for a 14th time can be a catalyst for something better next year.

“It’s still difficult now to process everything with how the game went in the end. It’s hard to speak about it,” said the 31-year-old, who has still led the team to a Carabao-FA Cup double.

“I felt as though we had three or four good chances and the keeper (Thibaut Courtois) made world-class saves.

“Hopefully we can have a good break now and then use that to process this season and everything that’s happened and use it to go again next season when we come back.

“We’ve had this feeling before and reacted in the right way. Hopefully we can do the same again, I’m sure we will.

“The mentality and character within the dressing room is outstanding and yes, we will be disappointed, and it’s hard because we have such a long time to think about it now.

“But I can say we’ve given absolutely everything all season, and sometimes you can’t do more than that.

“Football’s fine margins, that’s the way it is. We’ve had a little bit of luck in domestic cups on penalties when we won them. Against Real and in the league we didn’t.

“We have to deal with that and use it in the right way and use it to go forward and be stronger and better next season.”

Despite a domestic cup double, a campaign in which Liverpool played every one of the 63 matches for which they were eligible and took the Premier League title race down to the last 10 minutes of the season ended on a negative with crushing disappointments on back-to-back weekends.

But Henderson said that should not overshadow their achievements and, having delivered a positive message to the players in the dressing room in his post-match interviews, Klopp told fans to “book the hotel” for next year’s final in Istanbul.

“To be fair, the manager in these situations is really good and he can see the bigger picture. As players it’s really difficult,” added the Liverpool captain.

“It will take a little bit of time for us, but I have no doubt we will use it in the right way and use it to be better and stronger.

“We have always reacted in the right way, and I am sure we will do it again.

“I hope when we are on holiday and having a break we realise that this season has been special.

“I don’t know when the last time we went to a final or the last game in every single competition was. It shows the mentality and talent of the squad.

“We couldn’t give any more and football is down to fine margins.

“It is really difficult to stand here and be positive, but I really hope in the next few weeks we can look back on the season it can be a positive one.”

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PARIS POLICE CRITICIZED FOR SHAMBOLIC HANDLING OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Football fans, politicians and UK authorities have slammed the policing of Liverpool’s Champions League final in Paris after people were tear-gassed and involved in violent clashes.

The Reds lost to Real Madrid 1-0 at the Stade de France, just north of the city, on Saturday evening.

However, shambolic scenes outside the ground saw supporters with tickets made to wait in huge queues, before French police used tear gas.

Some were kept out of the stadium for large swathes of the first half and fans spoke of officers pointing guns at them after the game.

People spoke of their disgust at seeing elderly fans and children caught up in the mayhem, which a Liverpool supporters trust dubbed “shambolic and extremely dangerous”.

A British cabinet minister said it appeared French officers used an “aggressive approach”, while a UK police force defended the “exemplary” behaviour of fans.

Supporter Greg Scott, said his experience had been “shocking”.

He said: “I’ve travelled to many stadiums around Europe, away days, that kind of thing. But never have I seen anything like this, complete lack of control from the police.

“Their excuses stink – it’s nothing to do with the fans, the club, it’s [organisers] Uefa and the French police.

“People could have been seriously hurt, we were piled in together for hours in the heat queuing up, and then we had no idea where to go next.

“French police were using tear gas on a calm crowd like it was nothing, those with tickets were kept outside, I didn’t see most of the first half.”

Another told of being in “fear” of the French police.

Supporter Robbie (24) who did not want to give his surname, said: “I got pepper-sprayed, the first time that’s ever happened to me.

“It was unprovoked, people were just standing there waving at the police to let us in, we had tickets.

“Police were just spraying us for no reason, even kids and older people, it was bad.”

Liverpool FC supporters union Spirit of Shankly said on Twitter on Sunday: “Last night was totally shambolic and extremely dangerous – we are gathering evidence from fans.”

The issues started hours before the game, as tens of thousands of Liverpool fans were funnelled underneath a bridge close to the stadium, where they waited for hours in long queues.

Footage on social media appeared to show people climbing over barriers as crowds built up, and the kick-off was delayed by more than 30 minutes.

Police carrying shields and riot gear moved into the area shortly after 8pm and began using tear gas.

Tensions outside the stadium were then driven by young Parisians, causing ticket gates to be shut.

Bottles were thrown at officers who responded with tear gas.

Supporters argued with ticket officials on the other side of the fence after being refused entry.

Beyond the gates some people, a few wearing Liverpool shirts, were taken away.

Those with tickets were later let into the stadium well after the match began.

Similar scenes also took place at the fan zone in the Cours de Vincennes area in the south east of the city.

Police said 68 people were arrested and a nearby pub of 500 football fans was evacuated.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “I think it is concerning, I think we do need to ensure that they are looking into how this happened.”

He added: “We’ve got to learn a little bit about what happened over there, get to the bottom of it.

“But it is concerning to see that people either didn’t get into the stadium or were treated in the way that some of them seem to have been treated, with a very aggressive approach.”

Uefa said the delay was caused by the late arrival of Liverpool fans, but the club said that was “totally inaccurate”.

A Merseyside Police spokesperson said: “Can only describe it as the worst European match I’ve ever worked or experienced.

“I thought the behaviour of the fans at the turnstiles was exemplary in shocking circumstances. You were not late 100 per cent.”

A statement from Prefecture de Police, the Parisian police force, said queues formed after fans arrived without tickets.

French minister of sport Amelie Oudea-Castera, who attended the game alongside French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, wrote on Twitter: “The attempts of intrusion and fraud by thousands of English fans have complicated the work of stewards and police forces but will not tarnish [Real Madrid’s] victory.

“Violence has no place in the stadiums.”

Uefa said turnstiles were blocked because some Liverpool fans had purchased “fake” tickets, leading to a build-up.

Liverpool later released a statement calling for a thorough investigation into events outside the ground.

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LIVERPOOL DENIED SEVENTH EUROPEAN CROWN AS REAL MADRID EDGE REDS IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Liverpool were denied a seventh European crown as Real Madrid became kings of the continent once again thanks to Vinicius Junior’s strike in a Champions League final marred by chaos outside the Stade de France.

Paris stepped in as host after UEFA stripped St Petersburg of the showpiece following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it did not provide a fitting host as European royalty went toe-to-toe in the biggest club match of the season.

Kick-off had to be delayed by 36 minutes due to substantial security issues outside the Stade de France, where Liverpool would be edged out 1-0 in a tense, engaging final settled by Real star Vinicius Jr.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were unable to find a response to the second-half strike as Carlo Ancelotti, managing a record fifth Champions League final just a year after leaving Everton, oversaw the Spanish giants’ 14th European Cup triumph.

It was a heartbreaking end to a memorable season for Liverpool, who won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before being pipped to the Premier League title by a point and losing in the French capital.

Liverpool had settled quickest in Paris, where Thibaut Courtois denied Mohamed Salah – a man in search of revenge following his injury in the 2018 defeat to Real – before tipping a Sadio Mane strike onto the post.

Karim Benzema, this season’s Champions League top scorer, saw a goal ruled out for offside just before half-time and the LaLiga champions caught Liverpool napping in the 59th minute, landing a match-winning blow.

Vinicius Jr snuck behind Trent Alexander-Arnold to turn home Federico Valverde’s low cross and Courtois produced one of the best performances of his life to keep Liverpool at bay.

Salah led the charge for an equaliser that never arrived on a night that will be remembered by many for the farce outside the Stade de France, which led Liverpool to request a formal investigation midway through the final.

UEFA said the delay was due to “security reasons” but those inside the ground were told it was down to “the late arrival of fans”.

Despite the continuing chaos outside, singer Camila Cabello’s set went ahead as fireworks from the opening ceremony filled the air. If only as much thought had been put into planning as the pre-match pyrotechnics.

The Champions League anthem was jeered before play got under way 36 minutes late.

An edgy opening flew by without either side creating a clear cut-chance, but Courtois was alert when Alexander-Arnold squared for off-balance Salah to get away an effort.

Real Madrid’s goalkeeper denied more straightforward shots from the Thiago Alcantara and the Egypt international but had to be at his best to stop Mane landing a 21st-minute blow.

Showing great skill and poise, the 30-year-old beat two players and made space to get away a low snapshot that Courtois stretched to tip onto the post.

Madrid settled after that scare and seemed to pin their hopes on a moment of magic from Benzema or rapid Vinicius Jr racing behind.

Salah headed straight at Courtois and Jordan Henderson whistled wide as half-time approached, only for Real to find the net in the 43rd minute.

Benzema was put behind and cut past Andy Robertson, with Ibrahima Konate and Alisson getting in each other’s way when attempting to deal with the striker’s poor touch.

Valverde stretched to meet the loose ball under pressure and it popped through for the skipper to strike home, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. A decision ratified after a lengthy VAR review.

The second half began much like the opened period as the sides traded spells in possession without seriously threatening.

Alexander-Arnold was proving a handful on the right and Salah saw penalty appeals ignored as Liverpool fans’ chants began to fill the Parisian air.

But soon Real’s white wall were in raptures.

A move involving patient passing led Casemiro to play wide to Valverde on the right. The midfielder was afforded too much time and drove a cross to the far post, where Vinicius Jr had ghosted behind Alexander-Arnold and fired home.

It was a body blow that Liverpool tried to respond to, only for Courtois to prove an immovable object.

The Real goalkeeper stopped a curling 20-yard effort from Salah, who was soon seeing the Belgium international race across the face of goal to block a shot.

Alexander-Arnold drove a ball in as Liverpool desperately pushed, with substitute Diogo Jota almost diverting a Salah effort home. Courtois came to the rescue again.

Madrid’s defenders raced over to the goalkeeper in the 82nd minute when he somehow denied Salah, who controlled superbly before hitting a fizzing strike.

Play became stretched as Liverpool desperately hunted an equaliser that would evade them.

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I AM STAYING NEXT SEASON – MOHAMED SALAH RULES OUT LIVERPOOL EXIT THIS SUMMER

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah refused to be drawn on his protracted contract negotiations but insisted he will not be heading out of the club this summer.

With just over 12 months remaining on his contract, speculation will undoubtedly increase about the Egypt international’s future.

Saturday’s Champions League final opponents Real Madrid have missed out on signing Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in recent weeks and Salah’s form over his five years at Anfield would make him a prime target for the LaLiga side as an alternative.

But, while there still remains plenty of work to do for Liverpool to get a new deal for the 29-year-old over the line, they have some time as he has committed himself for another season at least.

“I am staying next season for sure, I am staying next season,” said the Egyptian.

“I don’t focus on the contract. I don’t want to be selfish. I said that two months ago – it is about the team now.

“I am just focused with the team. I want the Champions League again. I want to see Hendo (captain Jordan Henderson) with the trophy again and hopefully he will give it to me after.”

Salah has mixed memories from his two Champions League final experiences, having been forced off with injury in his first in 2018 – coincidentally against Real Madrid – after a clash with Sergio Ramos damaged his shoulder and then winning a year later against Tottenham in Madrid.

The forward admitted his experience in Kiev, when his dreams were shattered by injury, remains a difficult memory.

He has already spoken of a revenge mission against the Spanish club, with 2018 still in his mind.

“I remember when I went off, it was the worst moment in my career. I was really down at that time,” he added.

“We had a good season and came to Champions League final and then I went off.

“It was the worst thing to happen for a player. I knew the result from hospital. We couldn’t lose that way.

“I’m very motivated after what happened with Madrid last time. And, after what happened on Sunday (missing out on the Premier League by a single point), everyone is motivated to win the Champions League. Everybody is excited for it.”

While Salah’s deal will be top of the agenda once the final is over, he is not the only one whose contract expires in 2023.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who make up Jurgen Klopp’s original famed forward line, in addition to midfielder Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also have deals entering their final 12 months.

Salah, Mane and Firmino will all be over 30 by the time next season starts and the rejuvenation of Liverpool’s attacking options has already begun with the arrival of Diogo Jota in September 2020 and Luis Diaz in January.

However, manager Klopp said the outcome of final would not have any bearing on contract negotiations.

“No, not at all. What, if we win it they want to go? We are in talks with all the players, it is just not the moment to talk about the results of these talks, none of them are sitting there not knowing what we are planning,” he said.

“No, that would mean we would have to have negative talks, no.

“There is just not the time, we play every three days. The players have this idea, we have this idea, sometimes they match immediately, sometimes not and then we work together.

“We have known each other for ages.”

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LIVERPOOL BOSS JURGEN KLOPP WINS THE LEAGUE MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION AWARD

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been named League Managers’ Association Manager of the Year and also collected the Premier League award at a gala dinner in London on Tuesday evening.

The Reds won both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup after beating Chelsea following a penalty shoot-out at Wembley on each occasion – but saw Manchester City finish a point ahead of them to claim the Premier League title on a dramatic final day of the campaign.

Liverpool will aim to add the Champions League trophy to their haul when they meet Real Madrid in Paris on Saturday.

Klopp also received the LMA’s Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy, which is voted for by the full membership of managers across all the divisions.

“It is a great honour and it was an insane season,” Klopp said.

“The last matchday when only two games were meaningless and in the rest, we all played for absolutely everything.

“It was not the best outcome for us, but we are already over it.

“When you win a prize like this you are either a genius or you have the best coaching staff in the world – and I am here with all of my coaching staff, they know how much I appreciate them.”

Others on the LMA’s Premier League’s Manager of the Year shortlist were City boss Pep Guardiola, Thomas Frank, who kept Brentford up following a memorable first campaign, Eddie Howe at Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira.

Klopp had also won both of the LMA accolades in the 2019-20 campaign, which was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This (Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy) being voted for by my colleagues is obviously the most important prize you can get,” the German said.

“I don’t believe in individual prizes in football generally, it is a team sport and I would be nothing without these boys there. It is all about what we can do together and what we did together.

“We knew that we would be better this season, but had no idea we would be consistently better and I am really proud of the boys for what they did.

“We live in a world where second place will not be remembered – because of the other guys from Liverpool, you have to win all of the time – and Pep Guardiola deserved that obviously with Manchester City.

“Now we have the chance to play against the most experienced Champions League team and manager, but we were there now (in the final) in three of the last five years, so we will give it a try.”

The LMA Championship Manager of the Year went to Fulham’s Marco Silva, who guided the Cottagers straight back into the top flight, scoring 106 goals as they finished two points ahead of Bournemouth.

Wigan boss Leam Richardson won the League One award, with Matt Taylor named the League Two Manager of the Year having taken Exeter up, but just missing out on the title to Forest Green by goal difference.

Chelsea’s Emma Hayes was voted the FA Women’s Super League Manager of the Year, with Liverpool’s Matt Beard claiming the Women’s Championship award.

The LMA Service to Football Award went to Manchester United’s receptionist Kath Phipps, who has been working at the club for more than 50 years.

QPR’s Chris Ramsey and Manisha Tailor received the Kick It Out and Sky Inclusion Champion Award while Dr Sally Harris of HCA Healthcare UK was given the LMA Special Recognition Award.

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WIN NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN LIVERPOOL’S QUEST FOR A QUADRUPLE

Liverpool’s hopes of a dramatic last-day Premier League title win were dashed by Manchester City’s remarkable second-half comeback, with the 3-1 home win over Wolves not enough to maintain their quest for an unprecedented quadruple.

For a long period, with their rivals losing at home to Aston Villa, belief coursed around the ground but the dream was extinguished in the space of six minutes in which Pep Guardiola’s men turned things around.

It meant the Reds finished second by a point, with a 92-point tally which would have been good enough to win the title in 25 of the previous 30 seasons.

The last time a team failed to win the top-flight title after leading the table on the final day was Liverpool themselves in 1989 when they lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal.

But this time their destiny was out of their hands as it needed Villa, managed by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, to pull off the unexpected and get something at the Etihad Stadium.

For 75 minutes it looked like they might just do that and with Sadio Mane’s 11th league goal at Anfield cancelling out Pedro Neto’s surprise opener there was a feeling that something special was happening.

But by the time Mohamed Salah had put his side 2-1 up with his 23rd league goal – to share the Golden Boot with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, City were ahead.

That required something special from Villa late on but the next goal came at Anfield where Andy Robertson stabbed home in the 89th minute.

The match began and ended in a feeling of deflation but the consolation for Liverpool and their fans is they have a Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday to complete a cup treble.

Neto’s goal was most definitely not in the script but highlighted chinks in Liverpool’s defence which had seen them concede the first goal in five of their last six matches.

What was more annoying from the hosts’ point of view was the simplicity of the goal: Ibrahima Konate misjudged a Jose Sa kick and Raul Jimenez raced clear to square for Neto to become only the third opposition player to score a league goal at Anfield in 2022.

What was uncharacteristic, however, was Liverpool’s lack of sharpness up front.

Luis Diaz took the ball too close to Sa having been played in by Joel Matip, with the Colombia international’s next attack seeing his cross fly through the six-yard box with no team-mate close.

With so much at stake it could have been a nervy, cagey affair but it had the feel of a cup tie with both sides having chances as Leander Dendoncker fired from a breakaway before Neto was forced off injured.

A moment of genius lifted the rood off Anfield in the 24th minute when Thiago Alcantara, the dominant player in possession, produced a brilliant back-heeled pass for Mane to run through and score for the fourth successive final day, the first Liverpool player to do since since Ronald Orr in 1911.

Just before half-time came news of Villa’s goal at City and the ground went giddy with delight but on the pitch captain Jordan Henderson could be seen telling his team-mates to calm things down.

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker was the coolest of them all in saving substitute Hwang Hee-Chan’s near-post shot but the loss of Thiago to injury just before half-time was a significant blow.

However, other players started to energise and Mane – and the majority of Anfield – thought he had scored with a cheeky dink over Sa early in the second half only for a late offside flag to dampen the celebrations.

Salah, introduced in the 58th minute having recovered from a minor groin problem after last week’s FA Cup final victory, lobbed over with the outside of his left-foot from a tight angle as Liverpool kept probing.

The Egypt international then delayed his shot having capitalised on Willy Boly’s slip and the defender produced a brilliant recovery to dispossess the forward.

Moments later another roar went around the ground as former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho doubled Villa’s lead at City, with Jurgen Klopp putting a fourth forward on the pitch when he replaced Naby Keita with Roberto Firmino.

The tension was starting to become unbearable as Alisson tipped over a Hwang shot to provide a reminder there could be no gung-ho approach – and then City scored. Three times in six minutes.

Every goal from the Etihad was cheered by the visiting supporters, revelling in their misfortune of their Midlands rivals, who chanted “You nearly won the league” as the mood switched from frustration to deflation.

There was a brief respite when Salah forced home from close range after Matip’s header was cleared off the line.

With five minutes to go it appeared the rumour mill, fired by wishful thinking, went into overdrive as for a brief moment there was an outpouring of ecstasy for no apparent reason.

Fans were waiting on a goal from elsewhere so Robertson’s strike in the 89th minute goal produced only muted celebrations.