The scene was set for another disappointing night of football in London after West Ham took the lead via a superb Lucas Paqueta goal.
Another game that the Reds would struggle to claw back a goal and hopes of three points secured all but down the drain… until Cody Gakpo’s equaliser reignited Liverpool’s spark and set up a remarkable comeback in the English capital.
Recounting the aftermath of the event, Jordan Henderson revealed Jurgen Klopp’s delight with his side’s response.
“What was most pleasing was how we came through as a team, especially after going a goal down to a side which always gives opponents a proper test,” the skipper wrote in matchday programme notes (via the club’s official website).
“The gaffer was particularly pleased with the way we responded to that setback and so were we.
“This is a quality that underpinned a lot of our success in previous seasons and I think if you want to achieve in football it has to be an essential part of your armoury because you are never going to have everything your own way.”
The result leaves the Merseysiders in seventh, just a point behind Tottenham in fifth with a game in hand on Spurs to play.
It’s a shame of epic proportions that we couldn’t have discovered this level of grit and desire earlier in the campaign (indeed, we might have been discussing a rather different campaign in that event), though it’s a hugely positive sign ahead of the next campaign.
We may have Trent Alexander-Arnold’s new hybrid role to thank for that (along with Ibrahima Konate’s reliability as the right-sided centre-back to boot), though there’s been a marked improvement from all corners of the squad in the dying stages of 2022/23.
Let’s hope we can keep building this momentum going into the last six games of the season.