Liverpool April Review: The Reds move closer to history

Regardless of the results on the pitch during the month of April, it will always be a tough month for Liverpool supporters.

This April marked the 33rd anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy, where 97 supporters tragically lost their lives. Sir Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and Susan Black paid respects on behalf of the club, with Jurgen Klopp and Jordan Henderson doing so for the men’s team.

Klopp expressed sympathy and support for all those impacted by the horrific events that took place that fateful day.

"“For those who lost loved ones on that awful day, the pain will never diminish. For those who were there, who themselves were hurt or injured – or even witnessed the horror – they can never eradicate those feelings“So we must continue to support them and observe this anniversary in a manner which honours the memory of those we lost. But also acknowledge the courage, fortitude and reliance of the people who fought for justice in their memory for decades.“The majority of us honoured to represent this club today can never truly comprehend the suffering, but we can express our love and our solidarity.”Source: liverpoolfc.com"

Anfield paid respects to the 97 with a moving tribute before kick-off of the Champions League match against Benfica.

The Red’s play in April has certainly made the 97 proud

It was a grueling nine-match month that Liverpool handled superbly — seven wins, two draws, 22 goals scored and eight goals conceded.

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The Champions League quarterfinal tie against Benfica saw Luiz Diaz return to Portugal to torture his former Primeira Liga rivals. Diaz scored and assisted to help propel LFC into the UCL semifinals behind a 6-4 aggregate score.

The Reds also took a trip to the capital to play Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal. A brilliant first half saw Liverpool take a 3-0 lead into the break only to give City a couple back and finish the match on top 3-2. It was a great match against a top City side, and LFC secured another trip to Wembley for the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 14.

April’s Premier League matches saw us beat Watford, Manchester United, Everton and Newcastle. Some crucial points picked up there and a dominant showing against rivals Man Utd — a 4-0 victory that put the season scoreline at a historic 9-0 in favor of the Reds. A down year for United that LFC took full advantage of.

Everton is also having a poor season and turned up to Anfield only to have Thiago complete more passes than the entire Everton team combined. Some stat that.

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The most anticipated league match in quite some time took place when Liverpool traveled to the Etihad to play Man City. The Reds needed three points to jump City in the table and control their destiny for the rest of the season. It was an absolute classic of a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. LFC fought hard to come from behind twice and showed impressive resilience and adaptability to make the necessary adjustments. It was clear when the full-time whistle went that these are two teams with world-class talents all over the pitch.

Perhaps the biggest news to come out of Liverpool this past month was that Jurgen Klopp had signed a contract extension to stay at the club until 2026. The day after Liverpool secured a 2-0 win in the first leg of the UCL semifinal against Villarreal, Fenway Sports Group secured Klopp on a new 2-year contract extension. Liverpool fans across the globe are overjoyed by the news, but we all must thank Jurgen’s wife, Ulla, for two more years of “The Normal One”. Thankfully Klopp is as good of a husband as he is a manager.

Rush The Kop Player of the Month: Thiago Alcantara

What a month for Thiago. The midfield maestro silenced all those who doubted him earlier in the season with his performances over April. Thiago was brilliant in controlling the flow of games by keeping controlled possession and passing through lines with his accurate and lengthy range. He had six matches in April where he completed over 90% of his passes. He hardly put a foot wrong all month. The Spaniard has also shown his ability on the defensive side by getting stuck into tackles and becoming a real defensive force in the Liverpool midfield alongside Fabinho. A well-earned POTM for Thiago.

Now we head into the final month of the 2021/22 season, and amazingly the quadruple is still on. This team will certainly go down in club history, but they have a chance to be remembered as the greatest Liverpool team of all time. Liverpool has now won 43 games in all competitions this season which is more than any other season in the club’s history. They have also scored 139 goals in all competitions, which is another single-season club record. It truly is a remarkable time to be a Liverpool supporter, but we know there is more greatness to achieve. May is here and everything this side has worked towards is now quickly approaching. Four league matches and two cup finals to determine where this LFC squad will rank amongst the all-time club teams.