2018–19 Liverpool F.C. season

Liverpool's 2018–19 pre-season kicked off with its second signing (the first being Naby Keïta, a deal finalised before last season) to the squad for the season with the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Fabinho from French club AS Monaco, a deal which became official on 1 July.[13]

Liverpool seemed set for their third signing as reliable club sources like journalist Paul Joyce confirmed Liverpool had reached a deal with French club Lyon for their captain, Nabil Fekir.[14] The club, however, while confirming negotiations were ongoing, announced that Fekir would be remaining at Lyon.[15]

The first match of the preseason took place on 7 July when the Reds visited Chester. The Reds ran wild with two goals from Harry Wilson in the first half, followed by five goals in the second half, in order, from James Milner from the spot, Daniel Sturridge, a Ryan Kent stunner, Danny Ings, then another goal from Sturridge to give Liverpool a 0-7 victory.[16]

The Reds moved along to 10 July and a visit to Merseyside counterparts Tranmere Rovers. Rafa Camacho, Sheyi Ojo, and Adam Lallana all scored in the first half to give the Reds a 0–3 lead. Tranmere fired back with goals from Jonny Smith scoring a rebound after a hard free kick Loris Karius could not hold on to, then Amadou Soukouna tacked on a late second, but Liverpool held on and won 2–3.[17]

On 13 July, Liverpool formally announced their third signing of the summer; Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke City, signing him for £13m, his reported release clause.[18][19]

The following day, on 14 July, Bury was able to deny Liverpool a victory with a 0–0 draw at Gigg Lane. Sturridge, Ojo, and Dominic Solanke all had attempts cleared from the goal line.[20]

On 19 July, Liverpool confirmed their fourth signing of the summer in Alisson Becker for a fee of £56m, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in history at time of purchase.[21][22][23] That same day, Liverpool defeated Blackburn 0–2 with two second-half goals from Sturridge and Lazar Marković.[24]

Liverpool then participated in the International Champions Cup in the United States, first heading to Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium on 22 July to take on Borussia Dortmund. Virgil van Dijk opened scoring in the first half to give the Reds a 1–0 lead at halftime, but Dortmund stormed back with two goals from American Christian Pulisic and a late PK from Jacob Bruun Larsen to give Dortmund the 1–3 victory.[25]

Up next, on 26 July, was a trip to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where Liverpool took on Manchester City. Leroy Sané opened the scoring in the 57th minute, but it was the super-subs, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, coming back from their time off following the World Cup, to give Liverpool the 1–2 victory over the Premier League rivals.[26]

Finally was the trip to Michigan Stadium and a crowd of over 100,000 people on 29 July, against arch-rivals Manchester United. Liverpool first saw a penalty converted by Mané, only for an immediate response from an Andreas Pereira free kick. In the second half, though, goals from Sturridge, Ojo, from the penalty spot, and newest signing Xherdan Shaqiri's bicycle kick on his debut gave Liverpool the 1–4 win.[27] Liverpool travelled to Ireland on 4 August to ultimately defeat Napoli 5–0 with goals in the first half from Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum then in the second half from Salah, Sturridge, and Alberto Moreno.[28] Liverpool's final preseason fixture was on 7 August in a rare preseason match at Anfield as hosts to Torino. Liverpool opened the scoring with goals from Roberto Firmino and Wijnaldum each scoring. Andrea Belotti answered with a header before the half, but Sturridge responded with another goal to a strong preseason to give Liverpool the 3–1 victory in their final preseason match.[29]

Liverpool's opening Premier League fixture was at Anfield against West Ham United on 12 August. The Reds took a 2–0 half-time lead with goals from Salah and Mané, before the latter scored a seemingly offside goal to make it 3–0. In the final few minutes, Sturridge scored Liverpool's fourth and final goal with his first touch of the game, only 24 seconds after replacing Salah. The 4–0 win put Liverpool in first position of the league table for the first time since November 2016. The scoreline also meant that Liverpool became just the second club in Premier League history to score four or more goals in four consecutive games against a single opponent.[30]

Liverpool's first away game of the league season was at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace on 20 August. Initially, the game was an even contest before Liverpool were awarded a late first half penalty following a foul by former Liverpool player Mamadou Sakho on Salah. James Milner converted the penalty to give Liverpool the 0–1 lead at the half. The second half was equally even for the most part, though at the very end, Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka earned a red card, giving Liverpool a one-man advantage. Mané then scored a late second in stoppage time to eventually give Liverpool a 0–2 win.[31]

Liverpool's final fixture of the month saw the team return to Anfield to take on Brighton & Hove Albion on 25 August. The visitors' resistance was broken in the 23rd minute when Salah put the Reds ahead 1–0, and the game went on to finish with no further changes to the scoreline. The win saw Liverpool take the maximum nine points from the first three league fixtures for the first time since the 2013–14 season.[32]

Liverpool's next fixture was on 1 September, against Leicester City. Liverpool took an early lead through a goal from Mané, which was then followed by Firmino's first goal of the season. His late first-half header to give the Reds a comfortable 2–0 lead at half-time. This was followed by a howler from goalkeeper Alisson, attempting to dribble the ball only to lose it to Kelechi Iheanacho, with Rachid Ghezzal then scoring into the empty net. Liverpool managed to survive the opposition's continued pressing and record a 2–1 win to maintain their 100% record start to the season.[33] Liverpool's next fixture, which came after the international break, was on 15 September, away at Tottenham Hotspur, a team they had not beaten away from home since the 2014–15 season. The Reds took the lead in the 39th minute, with Wijnaldum scoring his first Premier League away goal for Liverpool. Firmino scored his second goal of the season to put the Reds 2–0 up. A late goal from Erik Lamela added drama to the match, but Liverpool held on to secure their fifth league win of the season and maintain their 100% record to the start of the season, with the result also meaning that this was the club's best start to a season since 1990.[34] Also, the match was marked by Firmino's eye injury, sustained in a clash with Jan Vertonghen.[35]

Liverpool's first UEFA Champions League match of the season was up against Paris Saint Germain, the French champions, on 18 September. The Reds took the lead through a header from Sturridge, followed by a penalty from Milner, before Thomas Meunier scored to slightly decrease the margin to 2–1 at half-time. Teenager Kylian Mbappé scored in the last few minutes to make it 2–2 as he took advantage off a mistake from Salah. Firmino, who came on as a substitute just minutes before the equalizing goal, scored in the last few seconds of the game to win it 3–2 and open Liverpool's continental campaign with a win.[36]

Liverpool's next game was against on 22 September, against Southampton. Liverpool took the lead through an own goal from Wesley Hoedt in the early minutes of the game, followed by a goal from Joël Matip just ten minutes after, with the Reds' third goal falling in the last minute of the first-half, with Shaqiri hitting the bar from a free-kick and Salah slotting in the goal, to win the game 3–0 for the Reds, as Liverpool won a seventh straight game in all competitions from the start of a season for the first time in 28 years.[37]

Liverpool's next fixture was up against Chelsea on 26 September, in the Carabao Cup third round. The Reds initially took the lead through a goal from Sturridge, only for Emerson Palmieri to score the equaliser in the last ten minutes of the match, which was followed by Eden Hazard scoring a stunning goal in the final minutes of the match to give Chelsea the win and end Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season.[38]

Three days later, on 29 September, the Reds once again played against Chelsea in the Premier League. A goal from Hazard once again gave Chelsea the lead at half-time, before Sturridge scored a magnificent late goal to share the points for both sides.[39]

The Reds' next match was against Napoli in the Champions League at the Stadio San Paolo on 3 October. Liverpool struggled throughout the game, particularly in attack where they failed to register a single shot on target for the first time since 2006. A goal from Lorenzo Insigne in the 90th minute finally would break the deadlock after Liverpool's defense stopped several chances. Following the defeat, Klopp stated that the Reds "only had themselves to blame" for the loss.[40]

Their final game before the international was against league champions Manchester City on 7 October, with plenty of hype ahead of the game. However, the match would eventually finish goalless, as both teams' defences earned praise. The highlight of the match was Riyad Mahrez missing a penalty in the last few minutes of the game after van Dijk fouled Leroy Sané, with Mahrez skying the ball over the crossbar to mark a 0–0 draw.[41] During the international break, the Reds would suffer several injury problems to key players, including Salah, Mané, van Dijk and Keïta, though only the latter would be out for an extended period.

The Reds' first match following the international break was against Huddersfield Town, on 20 October, and a third meeting between close friends Klopp and David Wagner. The Reds went ahead following Salah's strike in first half, as the game also marked the introduction of Fabinho, who made his Premier League debut after coming as a substitute in the 69th minute. Huddersfield has several attempts but were unable to score, as Liverpool were able to hold on and win 1–0.[42]

Liverpool's next match was a midweek Champions League fixture against Red Star Belgrade, on 24 October. Following an initially close opening, the Reds went ahead through Roberto Firmino's goal in the 20th minute, which was followed by Salah's goal at the stroke of half-time. Salah scored his second goal from the penalty spot, which was his 50th goal for the club in all competition. Mané, after missing a penalty, scored to give Liverpool a 4–0 win, with the result, along with a 2–2 draw between Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain in the other group fixture, moving the Reds to top of their Champions League group.[43]

Liverpool's next fixture was against Cardiff City on 27 October. The Reds went ahead with a goal from Salah in the 10th minute, but afterwards were unable to break Cardiff's defence before Mané scored to make it to 2–0 in the 66th minute, only for Callum Paterson to score in the 77th minute. Afterwards, Shaqiri scored his first goal for the club to make it 3–1, with Mané scoring three minutes later to make it 4–1 and temporarily move the Reds to the top of the table.[44]

The Reds' next match was against Arsenal on 3 November. In a very close match, Milner scored his 50th Premier League goal to open a 1–0 lead for Liverpool in the 61st minute, following an error from goalkeeper Bernd Leno, though Alexander Lacazette scored a late equaliser after he had taken the ball away from Alisson, as the two sides shared a 1–1 draw.[45]

Three days later, Liverpool played against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League, with the Reds suffering a shock 2–0 defeat after two early goals from Milan Pavkov, with the defeat severely threatening Liverpool's qualification hopes.[46] The Reds' next fixture was against Fulham, on 11 November. Following an unexpectedly close first-half, Salah scored just 14 seconds after Fulham scored a goal that was controversially considered offside. Shaqiri scored his second goal for the club in the second half, as the Reds won 2–0 and temporarily return to the top of the league table.[47]

Following the international break, Liverpool's next game was against Watford at Vicarage Road on 24 November. The Hornets scored inside the second minute, but Gerard Deulofeu's goal was flagged offside. After an initially close first half, Salah opened the scoring for Liverpool, which was then followed by a free-kick goal from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who scored his first goal of the season. In the last few minutes of game time, captain Jordan Henderson was sent off following a foul on Étienne Capoue, which resulted in his second yellow card and dismissal. A late header from Firmino was then enough to give Liverpool a 3–0 away win.[48]

The final match of the month for Liverpool was an away trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stages. The hosts went ahead through a goal from Juan Bernat, followed by a goal from Neymar to double the lead for the hosts. Despite a penalty from Milner, the Reds were unable to score an equalizer and left Parc des Princes without any points. The defeat would mean that Liverpool had to win either 1–0 or by two goals against Napoli in their final match to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.[49]

In the last month of the calendar year, Liverpool played against city rivals Everton on 2 December. In a very tight and close game, several attempts on goal were made by both teams, with Alisson saving a header from André Gomes and Joe Gomez clearing the rebound and a shot from Gylfi Sigurðsson. In the final seconds of the game, Divock Origi scored his first goal for the club since May 2017, following a bizarre error from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, to seal a dramatic 1–0 win for the Reds, and extend Everton's winless run against Liverpool to 18 games.[50]

In the midweek fixture on 5 December, the Reds played away against Burnley. The hosts took a surprise lead through Jack Cork after Alisson was unable to gather the ball following a Burnley corner. Liverpool would soon hit the equalizer through a superb low finish from Milner and soon after substitute Firmino scored with his first touch to overturn the result in Liverpool's favour, with Shaqiri scoring in added time just moments following a save from Alisson to seal a 3–1 win. The victory meant that Liverpool were unbeaten in their first 15 league games, the club's best ever league start in history.[51]

In the weekend fixture of 8 December, Liverpool won 4–0 against Bournemouth, with a hat-trick from Salah and an own goal from Steve Cook, to move top of the league table. The game was also marked by Milner making his 500th Premier League appearance.[52] The club's next game was a crucial tie against Napoli in their Champions League group fixture. Liverpool went ahead with a goal from Salah, which was followed by the hosts missing several clear attempts. In injury time, Arkadiusz Milik had a chance to equalize from eight yards away from goal, but his shot was denied by Alisson who made a crucial save as Liverpool won 1–0 and qualify for the knockout phase.[53]

In the next fixture on 16 December, Liverpool hosted fierce rivals Manchester United, who were in poor form but did not taste defeat against the Reds since March 2014. In the end, Liverpool emerged victorious. The hosts went ahead through a volley goal from Mané, before Jesse Lingard equalized following an error from goalkeeper Alisson. Substitute Shaqiri then scored twice in seven minutes to confirm a 3–1 victory for the Reds.[54]

The following fixture was on 21 December, an away fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers, resulting in a 2–0 win for the visitors. Salah scored the opening goal following a cross from Fabinho, with the Egyptian then assisting van Dijk's goal, with the Dutchman scoring his first league goal for Liverpool. The result guaranteed that, regardless of other results, Liverpool would be top of the Premier League on Christmas Day [55] - with Manchester City's unexpected home loss to Crystal Palace ensuring the Reds would be four points clear.

The traditional Boxing Day fixture saw Liverpool host Newcastle United and former manager Rafael Benítez. The hosts went ahead through a wonderful strike from Dejan Lovren, which was followed by a second-half penalty from Salah, after the Egyptian was fouled by Paul Dummett, before Shaqiri's strike wrapped up the three points, with substitute Fabinho scoring his first goal for the club to complete a 4–0 victory. The result, coupled with other favourable results in the league, ensured that the Reds would go into their final game of 2018 six points clear, and would be top on New Year's Day.[56]

Liverpool's final game of 2018 saw the Reds again at Anfield, this time hosting Arsenal just 56 days after the reverse fixture at the Emirates - despite falling behind in the 11th minute to a goal from Gunners academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles, a frantic spell just a couple of minutes later saw Liverpool go 2-1 up thanks to a Firmino brace, with Mane extending the lead in the 32nd minute and Salah again scoring from the penalty spot in the dying minutes of added time. Only one goal was scored in the second half, just after the hour mark, with Firmino completing his first ever Liverpool hat-trick from the penalty spot. With Tottenham having lost 3-1 at home to Wolves in the earlier kick-off, the result saw the Reds go nine points clear at the top of the table, albeit the gap being then reduced to seven points by Manchester City's victory at Southampton the following day - with the club not only extending their unbeaten run in the league to 21 games but also successfully going unbeaten at Anfield in the league in 2018, as well as equalling the record set by Rafa Benitez's team in 2008-09 of going unbeaten at Anfield in the league for 31 games.

Liverpool kicked off the new calendar year with a daunting trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City, knowing full well a win could see their lead extended to ten points. In a tight first half, Liverpool had a goal very narrowly not scored as confirmed by goal-line technology before City defender Vincent Kompany controversially avoided a red card for a studs-up challenge on Salah, with Sergio Aguero opening the scoring for the champions in the 40th minute. Liverpool pulled themselves level in the second half, Firmino scoring after the hour mark, but Sane won the game for City just under 10 minutes later - ending Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season and pulling City firmly back into the title race.

This match turned out to be Liverpool's only Premier League defeat in the 2018/19 season and in the calendar year 2019.

The following fixture was again away at Wolves, this time in the 3rd round of the FA Cup - with the title challenge firmly on his mind, Klopp made nine changes to the team with only Milner and Lovren keeping their places from the defeat at City, giving first-team debuts to academy graduates Curtis Jones and Rafa Camacho and starting Fabinho at centre-back along Lovren. Barely 5 minutes into the game, however, Lovren was substituted off with a hamstring injury - with Ki-Jana Hoever, who had been signed for the academy in the summer, becoming the youngest ever Liverpool player to debut for the first-team at 16 years old. Wolves opened up the scoring on the 38th minute, with Raul Jimenez firing in on the counter. Much like at the Etihad, Liverpool pulled themselves level in the second half with Origi scoring in the 51st minute, only for Ruben Neves to fire the home-side back ahead 4 minutes later with a terrific 31-yard shot; the West Midlands side could have even scored more, with Hoever making a fantastic last-ditch tackle to stop Jimenez closing in on goal with 15 minutes left. The result saw Liverpool eliminated from the Cup in the 3rd round for the first time since 2011 and eliminated by Wolves for the second time in 3 seasons.

There were some positives for the club in the opening weeks of the month, however, with both Klopp and van Dijk picking up the Premier League Manager and Player of the Month awards for December, Liverpool having won all seven league games to go from second to having a lead at the top of the table - van Dijk becoming the first league defender to win the award since 2013.

The Red's next league fixture was away at Brighton and Hove Albion, the Reds hoping to put the 2 previous defeats behind them - after a goal-less first half that saw the Reds fail to find a way past a stubborn Seagulls defence, a 3rd Salah penalty in 4 league games in the 50th minute put the Reds ahead, a scoreline that stayed the same until full-time, sending Liverpool seven points clear at the top until Monday evening at least.

For the next game, Liverpool welcomed former manager Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace to Anfield - the Reds aware that victory could see them again go seven points clear of City, but also aware that Palace had won three of their five previous league visits and had also won at City just four weeks previously. The game remained even until just after the half-hour mark when Palace forward Andros Townsend controversially scored with the Eagles' first shot on goal, barely a few seconds after he escaped being penalised for a hand-ball in the Palace penalty area. Going one goal down into half-time, Liverpool came flying out in the second half with Salah scoring his fifteen league goal of the season not even a minute into the half, with Firmino firing the home side into the lead just seven minutes later. Palace, however, proved they weren't down and out with James Tomkins pulling his side level just after the hour mark - only for Liverpool to restore their lead in the 78th minute through Salah. A second bookable offence for Milner saw the Reds down to ten men and their lead under threat, before Mane scored in added time to put the game beyond Palace - with even Max Meyer's first Palace goal proving to be too late, as Liverpool secured their 19th league win of the season and extended their unbeaten home league run to 32 games, the longest since going over 60 home league games unbeaten between 1978 and 1980 in the old First Division.

The Reds' next game came 10 days later as a result of the FA Cup fourth round being played on the weekend of 26–27 January, with Leicester City welcomed to Anfield - aware that Manchester City had lost the previous day at Newcastle United, Liverpool had the chance to extend their lead at the top once again but were ultimately frustrated by a resilient Foxes side; Mane put the Reds ahead in the 3rd minute, only for Harry Maguire to head in an equalizer on the stroke of half-time just minutes after avoiding being sent off for being the last man on Mane. No goals were scored in the second half, with Leicester lucky to avoid conceding a penalty when Keita was hauled down in the area.

Liverpool's first game of the month came against West Ham at the Olympic Stadium and finished in a second successive 1-1 draw, with Michail Antonio scoring just before the 30 minute mark to cancel out another Mané opener. This allowed Manchester City to go top of the league on goal difference with wins against Arsenal and Liverpool's arch rivals Everton.

The Reds then bounced back with what ultimately proved to be an easy 3-0 win over Bournemouth at Anfield, with Mané and Wijnaldum scoring within 10 minutes of each other in the first half, and Salah adding the final goal just minutes after the start of the second half. With his goal, Salah became the first player since Luis Suárez to hit the back of the net 20 times in successive seasons.

10 days later, the Reds welcomed German giants Bayern Munich to Anfield for the first leg of the last-16 Champions League knockout stage - a game that finished 0-0 with both sides having chances but ultimately seeing the German champions resort to damage limitation for the last half-hour with Liverpool more likely to score.

Liverpool's next game then the squad to Old Trafford to face fierce rivals Manchester United, who had enjoyed an incredible resurgence under Norwegian interim manager and former player Ole Gunnar Solskjær following his appointment after the Manchester club's loss at Anfield in December. The game ultimately finished 0-0, the Reds putting in a poor performance against a United side that made all three substitutions in the space of 25 minutes in the first half - and were lucky to avoid a late loss, a Matip own goal being disallowed.

With scrutiny increasing both on and off the pitch for their next game, a home match against Watford, Liverpool then secured their biggest victory of the season with a 5-0 win over the Hornets - Mane extending his impressive run of goals with a brace in the first half, before Origi scored shortly after the hour mark to put the game beyond Watford, with van Dijk scoring a late brace to keep the Reds one point clear of City and increase their goal difference.

On 3 March, Liverpool played out a goalless draw at Everton at Goodison Park - the Reds testing Blues goalkeeper Pickford several times in the half but ultimately failing to really bring a good save out of him. With City having won at Bournemouth the previous day, the Merseyside club lost their lead at the top of the table.

The following weekend, the Reds welcomed Burnley to Anfield, aware that only a win would be acceptable after City's win over Watford - however, the team got off to a poor start with Ashley Westwood scoring directly from a corner after just 6 minutes, though replays revealed that Allison had been impeded by Clarets defender James Tarkowski in the build-up. Liverpool forced themselves back into the game 13 minutes later, with Firmino taking advantage of a fumbled shot from opposite goalkeeper Tom Heaton and then took the lead just before the 30-minute mark through Mane. Firmino added his second goal of the game after the hour mark, again taking advantage of an error from Heaton, before Burnley pulled a second goal back in the first minute of added time through Icelandic midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson - however, Liverpool were not to be denied and deservedly won the game just two minutes later with Mane scoring his second goal of the game and ensuring the Reds remained just one point behind City with 8 games to go.

The next game saw Liverpool travel to Germany and the Allianz Arena for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 game - after an even 25 minute opening period, the Reds opened the scoring through Mane, who continued his fine scoring form with a fantastic finish that saw him manage to sidestep Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer before firing into the goal. The German side fought back, however, levelling the score 13 minutes later through a Matip own goal, though the Reds would still be going through on away goals scored. Despite Bayern increasing the pressure in the second half, it was Liverpool who added to their lead through a van Dijk header just before the 70 minute mark - with Mane scoring his second goal of the night to settled the tie once and for all 10 minutes later, sending the Reds into the quarter-finals for the second year in a row and ensuring they would join fellow English sides Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the draw; just days later, the draw was made for both the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, with Liverpool being drawn with Porto for the second season running with the possibility of facing either Manchester United or Barcelona in the semi-final tie.

In their final game before the international break, the Reds travelled back down to London to face strugglers Fulham at Craven Cottage - a tie that saw the Merseyside club return to the top of the table with a 2-1 win; despite putting in a poor performance and being pegged back to 1-1 with 15 minutes to go, Ryan Babel scoring against his former club after a mix-up between Allison and van Dijk, a 26th-minute goal from Mane and then an 81st-minute penalty from Milner ensured all three points for the Reds.

The Reds' last game of the month saw them welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield, aware that the title race was really hotting up and that any dropped points could see the club miss out once again on their first Premier League start - after an even start, Firmino ended his goalless run by smashing in a shot in the 16th minute to give his side the lead. Tottenham deservedly equalised in the 70th minute through Lucas Moura after a strong second half up to that point and looked set to earn a point, only for Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld to inadvertently send the ball into his own net in the 90th minute, a goal that earnt Liverpool the win and saw the Reds go two points clear going into the last two months of the season.

For their first game of the penultimate month of the season, Liverpool travelled to St Mary's on the south-coast to face Southampton, who had largely picked up form since the reverse game in September, in part thanks to the appointment of former RB Leipzig manager and Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl - and it was the Saints who scored first, Shane Long netting in the ninth minute to put the Reds under pressure. However, their lead lasted for less than 30 minutes with Naby Keita scoring his first Liverpool goal to pull the Merseyside club level, despite Salah appearing to be offside in the build-up. Despite attempts from Southampton to bring themselves back into the match, goals from Salah and Henderson - the former ending a nine-game drought and the latter scoring his first goal of the season - ultimately consigned the Saints to defeat and ensured Liverpool once again returned to the top of the table, albeit with Manchester City yet again having a game in hand. Furthermore, the result mathematically ensured a top-four finish for the Reds and confirmed their place in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League.

The Reds' next game came four days later, as they hosted FC Porto in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final draw; the end result of the game was a comfortable 2-0 win for Liverpool, with Keita scoring his second goal for the club in as many games after just five minutes and Firmino doubling the lead just before the half-hour mark, giving the side the advantage in the tie.

Liverpool then followed this up with arguably their toughest remaining league game of the season, as they welcomed Chelsea to Anfield one day before the 30th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster - with City having comfortably won at Crystal Palace in the earlier Sunday kick-off, the pressure was on the home side to return to the top of the table against a Chelsea side who hadn't lost in any competition at Anfield since 2012. After a goal-less first half, Liverpool came firing out in the second and scored two quick-fire goals in succession, Mane heading the first goal in on the 51st minute mark and then Salah - just days after it had emerged that Chelsea fans in Prague had been recorded singing a racially discriminatory song about the Egyptian forward - scoring the second two minutes later, firing in a cracker of a goal from 25 yards out. The score-line remained the same until the final whistle, Chelsea going close twice through Hazard but being unable to find the back of the net; the result once again saw Liverpool return to the top of the table.

The next game saw the Reds travel to Portugal for the second leg of their Champions League tie with Porto; despite making a slow start and having to weather several Porto attacks, the team took the lead in the 28th minute through a Mane strike that appeared offside but was finally given by VAR. Salah scored the second goal in the second half, only for defender Éder Militão to score for the home side just a couple of moments later - however, the game was finally put to bed by two headers, the first from Firmino and the second from van Dijk, sending Liverpool into the semi-finals for the second season running to face Barcelona, who comfortably dispatched Manchester United 4-0 on aggregate in their tie.

Liverpool's next game fell on Easter Sunday as they travelled to Wales to face Cardiff City, who had seen their battle to avoid relegation rejuvenated with an impressive away victory in their previous game which they won 2-0 away to Brighton and Hove Albion. After a goal-less first half that saw the Bluebirds deal with the attacking threat from the Reds very well, the away side finally got the goal they needed, Wijnaldum scoring with a wonderful finish in the 56th minute. Cardiff very nearly equalized after seven minutes, only for captain Sean Morrison to miscue his header and send the ball wide; with less than 10 minutes to go, Morrison then proceeded to give away a penalty by holding onto Salah in the penalty area for a good couple of seconds, a penalty that Milner calmly converted. The game finished 2-0 to Liverpool, again sending them to the top of the table but for only a couple of days, with Manchester City winning 2-0 in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on 24 April, two days before Liverpool's home game against already relegated Huddersfield Town.

The month of April came to an end on a high as Liverpool hosted already relegated Huddersfield Town at Anfield, preparing for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie with a comfortable 5-0 win - Keita started the scoring after just 15 seconds by taking advantage of a Huddersfield mishap, with Mane scoring the second goal in the 23rd minute and Salah securing the third goal in added time at the end of the first half. Only two goals were scored in the second hand, both Mane and Salah scoring their second goals of the match in the 55th and 82nd minute respectively, but it gave the Reds their 16th home league win of the season and extended their unbeaten Anfield league run to 39 games - with a further boost coming in the form of midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who came in as a substitute in the second half after over a year out with a serious knee injury.

The Reds opened the final month of the season away at the Camp Nou to Barcelona on 1 May, in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals. In an initially close first 25 minutes, former Liverpool player Luis Suárez opened the scoring, celebrating against his former club. The second half was dominated with continued attacking pressure from Liverpool, but no goals came until Lionel Messi scored from close range after Suárez had hit the bar. Only minutes later, Messi scored once again, this time a spectacular 30-yard free kick, as Barcelona completed a 3–0 victory.[57]

Liverpool's next game was three days later on 4 May, away against Newcastle United in the Premier League. The Reds opened the scoring with a goal from van Dijk, only for Christian Atsu to level the game a few minutes later. A goal from Salah just several minutes later restored their lead as the first half drew to a conclusion. Not long after the second half began, Salomón Rondón scored to bring the game level. Only minutes before the final whistle, substitute Origi headed in Shaqiri's free-kick as the Reds won 3–2, ensuring that the Premier League title race will go down to the final game.[58]

Three days later, Liverpool faced Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Trailing with a 3–0 deficit and having had both Firmino and Salah injured prior to the game, many pundits and general media believed that it was highly unlikely for Liverpool to overturn the result. The Reds took the lead through Origi within a few minutes into the game, and the score stayed as such once the first half concluded. In the second half, substitute Wijnaldum scored twice within the space of 122 seconds to even the tie. Ten minutes before the final whistle, Origi struck again following a quickly taken corner from Alexander-Arnold, completely overturning the tie into the Reds' favour, as Liverpool won 4–0 to advance into their second successive Champions League final, and their third overall European final under Klopp.[59]

Liverpool's final league game of the season was on 12 May, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. As title rivals Manchester City were playing at the same time against Brighton & Hove Albion, the Reds required an miracle to happen in order to claim the league title. However, despite winning 2–0 with both goals from Mané, they ultimately finished in second place as City easily won their game 4–1, with the Reds being just 1 point away from winning their first league title in 29 years. Liverpool's total of 97 points was the highest number of points a second placed team had ever finished within the Premier League and any of Europe's top league flights.[60]

On 1 June, in their second successive Champions League Final, Liverpool defeated fellow English club Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 to secure a sixth European Cup victory and the club's first since 2005.[61] They had taken the lead after just two minutes through Mohamed Salah`s penalty, before doubling their lead with three minutes left through Divock Origi. [62]

  Win   Draw   Loss

Chester v Liverpool

7 July 2018 (2018-07-07) Friendly	Chester	0–7	Liverpool	Chester, England
15:00 BST		Report	Wilson  38', 45' Milner  48' (pen.) Sturridge  54', 89' Kent  56' Ings  79'	Stadium: Deva Stadium Attendance: 4,396 Referee: Robert Jones

Tranmere Rovers v Liverpool

10 July 2018 (2018-07-10) Friendly	Tranmere Rovers	2–3	Liverpool	Birkenhead, England
19:30 BST	Smith  72' Soukouna  81'	Report	Camacho  7' Ojo  27' Lallana  33'	Stadium: Prenton Park Referee: Mike Dean

Bury v Liverpool

14 July 2018 (2018-07-14) Friendly	Bury	0–0	Liverpool	Bury, England
15:00 BST		Report		Stadium: Gigg Lane Attendance: 6,852 Referee: Darren Handley

Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool

19 July 2018 (2018-07-19) Friendly	Blackburn Rovers	0–2	Liverpool	Blackburn, England
19:45 BST		Report	Marković  64' Sturridge  73'	Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 14,620 Referee: Jonathan Moss

Liverpool v Napoli

4 August 2018 (2018-08-04) Friendly	Liverpool	5–0	Napoli	Dublin, Republic of Ireland
18:00 BST	Milner  4' Wijnaldum  9' Salah  58' Sturridge  73' Moreno  77'	Report		Stadium: Aviva Stadium Attendance: 51,512 Referee: Robert Hennessy (Ireland)

Liverpool v Torino

7 August 2018 (2018-08-07) Friendly	Liverpool	3–1	Torino	Liverpool, England
19:30 BST	Fabinho 17' Firmino  21' Wijnaldum  24' Sturridge  87'	Report	Belotti  31'	Stadium: Anfield Referee: Michael Oliver (England)

Updated to match played 1 June 2019
Source: Competitions

Updated to match played 1 June 2019
Source: Competitions

On 14 June 2018, the Premier League fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.[108][109]

Liverpool v West Ham United

12 August 2018 (2018-08-12) 1	Liverpool	4–0	West Ham United	Liverpool
13:30 BST	Salah  19' Alexander-Arnold  21' Mané  45+2', 53' Sturridge  88'	Report	Antonio  52' Balbuena  55'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,235 Referee: Anthony Taylor

Crystal Palace v Liverpool

20 August 2018 (2018-08-20) 2	Crystal Palace	0–2	Liverpool	Selhurst, London
20:00 BST	Van Aanholt  42' Wan-Bissaka  75'	Report	Milner  45' (pen.) Alexander-Arnold  52' Mané  90+3'	Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 25,750 Referee: Michael Oliver

Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion

25 August 2018 (2018-08-25) 3	Liverpool	1–0	Brighton & Hove Albion	Liverpool
17:30 BST	Salah  23' Alexander-Arnold  77'	Report	Balogun  59'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,294 Referee: Chris Kavanagh

Leicester City v Liverpool

1 September 2018 (2018-09-01) 4	Leicester City	1–2	Liverpool	Leicester
12:30 BST	Ghezzal  61',  63' Mendy  88' Ndidi  90+5'	Report	Mané  10' Firmino  45' Van Dijk  55' Milner  90+3'	Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 32,149 Referee: Paul Tierney

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

15 September 2018 (2018-09-15) 5	Tottenham Hotspur	1–2	Liverpool	Wembley, London
12:30 BST	Lamela  90+3'	Report	Wijnaldum  39' Firmino  54'	Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 80,188 Referee: Michael Oliver

Liverpool v Southampton

22 September 2018 (2018-09-22) 6	Liverpool	3–0	Southampton	Liverpool
15:00 BST	Hoedt  10' (o.g.) Matip  21' Salah  45+3'	Report	Romeu  34' Lemina  56'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,457 Referee: Paul Tierney

Chelsea v Liverpool

29 September 2018 (2018-09-29) 7	Chelsea	1–1	Liverpool	Fulham, London
17:30 BST	Hazard  25'	Report	Mané  39' Milner  77' Sturridge  89'	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 40,625 Referee: Andre Marriner

Liverpool v Manchester City

7 October 2018 (2018-10-07) 8	Liverpool	0–0	Manchester City	Liverpool
16:30 BST	Wijnaldum  90'	Report	B. Silva  21' Agüero  56' Mendy  64' Mahrez 86'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 52,117 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Huddersfield Town v Liverpool

20 October 2018 (2018-10-20) 9	Huddersfield Town	0–1	Liverpool	Huddersfield
17:30 BST		Report	Salah  24' Lallana  36' Sturridge  76'	Stadium: John Smith's Stadium Attendance: 24,263 Referee: Michael Oliver

Liverpool v Cardiff City

27 October 2018 (2018-10-27) 10	Liverpool	4–1	Cardiff City	Liverpool
15:00 BST	Salah  10' Mané  66', 87' Shaqiri  84'	Report	Paterson  77'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,373 Referee: Stuart Attwell

Arsenal v Liverpool

3 November 2018 (2018-11-03) 11	Arsenal	1–1	Liverpool	Holloway, London
17:30 GMT	Lacazette  82',  83'	Report	Fabinho  52' Milner  61'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,993 Referee: Andre Marriner

Liverpool v Fulham

11 November 2018 (2018-11-11) 12	Liverpool	2–0	Fulham	Liverpool
12:00 GMT	Salah  41' Shaqiri  53' Gomez  77'	Report	Chambers  59'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,128 Referee: Paul Tierney

Watford v Liverpool

24 November 2018 (2018-11-24) 13	Watford	0–3	Liverpool	Watford
15:00 GMT		Report	Henderson  60'  82' Salah  67' Alexander-Arnold  76' Firmino  89'	Stadium: Vicarage Road Attendance: 20,540 Referee: Jonathan Moss

Liverpool v Everton

2 December 2018 (2018-12-02) 14	Liverpool	1–0	Everton	Liverpool
16:15 GMT	Shaqiri  33' Fabinho  77' Gomez  80' Origi  90+6'	Report	Gomes  88' Sigurðsson  90'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 51,756 Referee: Chris Kavanagh

Burnley v Liverpool

5 December 2018 (2018-12-05) 15	Burnley	1–3	Liverpool	Burnley
19:45 GMT	Cork  54' Vydra  86'	Report	Milner  62' Firmino  69' Shaqiri  90+1'	Stadium: Turf Moor Attendance: 21,741 Referee: Stuart Attwell

Bournemouth v Liverpool

8 December 2018 (2018-12-08) 16	Bournemouth	0–4	Liverpool	Bournemouth
12:30 GMT	Aké  12' Lerma  15'	Report	Salah  25', 48', 77' S. Cook  68' (o.g.) Fabinho  70'	Stadium: Dean Court Attendance: 10,752 Referee: Lee Mason

Liverpool v Manchester United

16 December 2018 (2018-12-16) 17	Liverpool	3–1	Manchester United	Liverpool
16:00 GMT	Mané  24' Shaqiri  73', 80'	Report	Dalot  26' Lingard  33' Lukaku  40'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 52,908 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool

21 December 2018 (2018-12-21) 18	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0–2	Liverpool	Wolverhampton
20:00 GMT		Report	Salah  18' Van Dijk  68'	Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 31,358 Referee: Craig Pawson

Liverpool v Newcastle United

26 December 2018 (2018-12-26) 19	Liverpool	4–0	Newcastle United	Liverpool
15:00 GMT	Lovren  11' Salah  47' (pen.) Shaqiri  79' Fabinho  85'	Report		Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,318 Referee: Graham Scott

Liverpool v Arsenal

29 December 2018 (2018-12-29) 20	Liverpool	5–1	Arsenal	Liverpool
17:30 GMT	Firmino  14', 16', 65' (pen.) Robertson  26' Mané  32' Salah  45+2' (pen.)	Report	Maitland-Niles  11' Xhaka  33' Papastathopoulos  90+2'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,326 Referee: Michael Oliver

Manchester City v Liverpool

3 January 2019 (2019-01-03) 21	Manchester City	2–1	Liverpool	Manchester
20:00 GMT	Kompany  31' Agüero  40' Laporte  45+2' Sané  72' B. Silva  89' Ederson  90+5'	Report	Lovren  20' Wijnaldum  38' Firmino  64'	Stadium: Etihad Stadium Attendance: 54,511 Referee: Anthony Taylor

Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool

12 January 2019 (2019-01-12) 22	Brighton & Hove Albion	0–1	Liverpool	Brighton
15:00 GMT		Report	Salah  50' (pen.)	Stadium: Falmer Stadium Attendance: 30,682 Referee: Kevin Friend

Liverpool v Crystal Palace

19 January 2019 (2019-01-19) 23	Liverpool	4–3	Crystal Palace	Liverpool
15:00 GMT	Salah  46', 75' Firmino  53' Milner  82'  89' Mané  90+3'	Report	Townsend  34' J. Ayew  42' Tomkins  65' Meyer  90+5'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,171 Referee: Jonathan Moss

Liverpool v Leicester City

30 January 2019 (2019-01-30) 24	Liverpool	1–1	Leicester City	Liverpool
20:00 GMT	Mané  3' Matip  16'	Report	Maguire  41',  45+2' Pereira  50' Chilwell  90+4'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,092 Referee: Martin Atkinson

West Ham United v Liverpool

4 February 2019 (2019-02-04) 25	West Ham United	1–1	Liverpool	Stratford, London
20:00 GMT	Antonio  28' Hernández  60'	Report	Mané  22' Matip  54'	Stadium: London Stadium Attendance: 59,903 Referee: Kevin Friend

Liverpool v Bournemouth

9 February 2019 (2019-02-09) 26	Liverpool	3–0	Bournemouth	Liverpool
15:00 GMT	Mané  24' Wijnaldum  34' Salah  48' Matip  61' Robertson  87'	Report	Rico  25' Smith  38'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,178 Referee: Anthony Taylor

Manchester United v Liverpool

24 February 2019 (2019-02-24) 27	Manchester United	0–0	Liverpool	Manchester
14:05 GMT	Young  81'	Report	Milner  23' Shaqiri  83' Wijnaldum  90'	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 74,519 Referee: Michael Oliver

Liverpool v Watford

27 February 2019 (2019-02-27) 28	Liverpool	5–0	Watford	Liverpool
20:00 GMT	Mané  9', 20' Origi  66' Van Dijk  79', 82'	Report	Cathcart  79' Masina  82'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,316 Referee: Graham Scott

Everton v Liverpool

3 March 2019 (2019-03-03) 29	Everton	0–0	Liverpool	Liverpool
16:15 GMT	Walcott  7'	Report	Robertson  75' Fabinho  79'	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 39,335 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Liverpool v Burnley

10 March 2019 (2019-03-10) 30	Liverpool	4–2	Burnley	Liverpool
12:00 GMT	Alisson  8' Firmino  19', 68' Mané  29', 90+3' Fabinho  71'	Report	Westwood  6' Guðmundsson  90+1'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,310 Referee: Andre Marriner

Fulham v Liverpool

17 March 2019 (2019-03-17) 31	Fulham	1–2	Liverpool	Fulham, London
14:15 GMT	Anguissa  65' Babel  74' Bryan  90+4'	Report	Mané  26' Fabinho  39' Milner  81' (pen.)	Stadium: Craven Cottage Attendance: 25,043 Referee: Craig Pawson

Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur

31 March 2019 (2019-03-31) 32	Liverpool	2–1	Tottenham Hotspur	Liverpool
16:30 BST	Firmino  16' Alderweireld  90' (o.g.)	Report	Lucas  70',  80'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,322 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Southampton v Liverpool

5 April 2019 (2019-04-05) 33	Southampton	1–3	Liverpool	Southampton
20:00 BST	Long  9' Bednarek  48' Bertrand  75'	Report	Keïta  36' Salah  80',  81' Henderson  86',  90+1' Robertson  89' Mané  90+4'	Stadium: St Mary's Stadium Attendance: 31,797 Referee: Paul Tierney

Liverpool v Chelsea

14 April 2019 (2019-04-14) 34	Liverpool	2–0	Chelsea	Liverpool
16:30 BST	Mané  51' Salah  53'	Report	Azpilicueta  44'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,279 Referee: Michael Oliver

Cardiff City v Liverpool

21 April 2019 (2019-04-21) 35	Cardiff City	0–2	Liverpool	Cardiff
16:00 BST	Gunnarsson  80'	Report	Wijnaldum  57' Milner  81' (pen.),  90+1'	Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 33,082 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Liverpool v Huddersfield Town

26 April 2019 (2019-04-26) 36	Liverpool	5–0	Huddersfield Town	Liverpool
20:00 BST	Keïta  1' Mané  23', 66' Salah  45+1', 83'	Report		Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,249 Referee: Kevin Friend

Newcastle United v Liverpool

4 May 2019 (2019-05-04) 37	Newcastle United	2–3	Liverpool	Newcastle upon Tyne
19:45 BST	Atsu  20' Schär  45+2' Rondón  54'	Report	Van Dijk  13' Salah  28' Origi  86' Milner  90+2'	Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 52,206 Referee: Andre Marriner

Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers

12 May 2019 (2019-05-12) 38	Liverpool	2–0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Liverpool
15:00 BST	Mané  17', 81'	Report	Bennett  49' Jota  50'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,331 Referee: Martin Atkinson

The third round draw was made live on BBC by Ruud Gullit and Paul Ince from Stamford Bridge on 3 December 2018.[110]

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool

7 January 2019 Third round	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2–1	Liverpool	Wolverhampton
19:45 GMT	Jiménez  38' Neves  55'	Report	Milner  15' Origi  51'	Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 25,849 Referee: Paul Tierney

The third round draw was made on 30 August 2018 by David Seaman and Joleon Lescott.[111]

Liverpool v Chelsea

26 September 2018 (2018-09-26) Third round	Liverpool	1–2	Chelsea	Liverpool
19:45 BST	Milner  21' Matip  26' Sturridge  58' Fabinho  56' Keïta  78' Henderson  90'	Report	Kovačić  50' Emerson  79' Hazard  85' Moses  90+1' Morata  90+5'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 45,503 Referee: Kevin Friend

On 30 August 2018, the group stage draw was made live from Monaco.[112]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		PAR	LIV	NAP	ZVE
1	Paris Saint-Germain	6	3	2	1	17	9	+8	11	Advance to knockout phase		—	2–1	2–2	6–1
2	Liverpool	6	3	0	3	9	7	+2	9[lower-alpha 1]			3–2	—	1–0	4–0
3	Napoli	6	2	3	1	7	5	+2	9[lower-alpha 1]	Transfer to Europa League		1–1	1–0	—	3–1
4	Red Star Belgrade	6	1	1	4	5	17	−12	4			1–4	2–0	0–0	—

Liverpool v Paris Saint-Germain

18 September 2018 1	Liverpool	3–2	Paris Saint-Germain	Liverpool, England
20:00 BST	Van Dijk  27' Sturridge  30' Milner  36' (pen.) Firmino  90+2'	Report	Meunier  40',  45+1' Mbappé  83'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 52,478 Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)

Napoli v Liverpool

3 October 2018 2	Napoli	1–0	Liverpool	Naples, Italy
20:00 BST	Koulibaly  25' Insigne  90'	Report	Milner  45+2'	Stadium: Stadio San Paolo Attendance: 37,057 Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade

24 October 2018 3	Liverpool	4–0	Red Star Belgrade	Liverpool, England
20:00 BST	Firmino  20' Salah  45', 51' (pen.) Mané 76',  80'	Report	Stojković  50' Krstičić  55' Jovičić  74' Jovančić  86' Gobeljić  88'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 53,024 Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)

Red Star Belgrade v Liverpool

6 November 2018 4	Red Star Belgrade	2–0	Liverpool	Belgrade, Serbia
17:55 GMT	Marin  6' Pavkov  22', 29'	Report	Lallana  36'	Stadium: Red Star Stadium Attendance: 51,318 Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Paris Saint-Germain v Liverpool

28 November 2018 5	Paris Saint-Germain	2–1	Liverpool	Paris, France
20:00 GMT	Bernat  13' Verratti  24' Neymar  37',  90+4'	Report	Wijnaldum  17' Gomez  34' Milner  45+1' (pen.) Sturridge  84' Van Dijk  90+1' Robertson  90+3' Keïta  90+5'	Stadium: Parc des Princes Attendance: 46,880 Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Liverpool v Napoli

11 December 2018 6	Liverpool	1–0	Napoli	Liverpool, England
20:00 GMT	Van Dijk  13' Salah  34',  83' Robertson  90+1' Mané  90+3'	Report	Koulibaly  40'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 52,015 Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)