It was a huge game for both teams, with massive implications at both ends of the table.
In the end, Jurgen Klopp’s side came out on top, and Liverpool celebrated their win on Instagram at full-time.
The Reds came into the game off the back of a really poor run of form.
Their European ambitions were hαnging by a thread, and a response was desperately needed.
Suarez applauds Liverpool derby win
Liverpool shared a video of Jurgen Klopp walking down the tunnel, high fiving Liverpool fans.
He was clearly over the moon after such a long run of games without a decent performance.
Harvey Elliott is then seen giving his shirt away to a fan and celebrating as he leaves the pitch.
Suarez replied to Liverpool’s post, applauding the efforts of Klopp and his Liverpool win after such an important win.
The Uruguayan scored five goals and provided four assists in his six Merseyside derbies.
He’s exactly the sort of player Liverpool need up front right now given their lack of a consistent goal scorer.
Gakpo finally getting on the score sheet will be a big relief to Klopp and Liverpool fans.
Jamie Carragher compared him to Roberto Firmino in his prime last night.
He previous said he couldn’t believe Klopp authorised his signing in January.
Gakpo will be hoping he can kick on now and show the level of form that he did in the Netherlands that earned him his move to Anfield.
Takeover update: Liverpool’s £5bn plans threatened by Qatar’s interest in Manchester United takeover
Qatar is interested in taking over Manchester United.
Later this month, there will be a soft deadline for formal bids on Manchester United. Several groups are likely to be in the running.
The Glazer family put the Old Trafford team up for sale in November, just days after Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group said they wanted to sell a part of the club but were open to selling all of it if the right offer came along.
Since November, there hasn’t been much change in this area for Liverpool. Several possible buyers have been linked to the talks, but US sources close to the situation told the ECHO that there have been no firm bids or expressions of interest to top brass. However, with the United sale now heating up, there could be some real interest in FSG in the next few weeks.
Qatari investment has been linked to Liverpool a lot. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), which owns Paris Saint-Germain, and private funds and investors, such as the telecommunications company Ooredoo, have all been linked to Liverpool at some point during the process.
There is some truth to the Qatari connections, because the Gulf country is looking for a football investment in 2023 to build on the success of the 2022 World Cup. Qatar wants to find other ways to make money and not rely so much on oil and gas. Strategic investments in well-known assets like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, three clubs that are open to investments or outright sales, could be a good way to do this.
Qatari interest has been focused on Manchester United, where it has become more concrete. There are likely to be bids from the country for the club, and a private investment vehicle is likely to be used. This is because it would be hard to break up the relationship between QSI and PSG if the club was sold.
Even though QSI and QIA have strong ties to the government and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is a fan of Manchester United, it is important to note that they are separate from each other and could buy a football club separately if they wanted to. However, this would likely be looked at closely to make sure there was enough separation between the two, given how similar their relationships are.
But any deal for Manchester United, even if it were done through a private investment vehicle, which has been suggested because it would be good for a lot of people in the country, would almost certainly need the Emir’s approval and would almost certainly need to meet the government’s larger geopolitical goals. It goes way beyond simple trophy assets or claims that countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia try to clean up their reputations through sports, which has been said about them because of their human rights records.
Even though it is possible for another Qatari investor group to come forward for Liverpool at the same time as Manchester United, it seems unlikely. Also, since formal expressions of interest have been received for the sale of United, it is unlikely that this would happen quickly while another Qatari investor tries to negotiate a $5 bιllιon-plus deal for a competing asset. If their Manchester United play didn’t work out, the situation with Liverpool might change, but FSG is likely to start getting interest from other teams, and a partial sale is still preferred, so that chance may not come up.
Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy at SKEMA Business School, told the ECHO that anyone in Qatar with enough money to buy Manchester United would have strong ties to the state.
“The state would have to give permission for such a transaction, especially if it involved moving large amounts of money across international borders. There are some companies that might have the money to do it, like Ooredoo, which is a telecommunications company. But there are strong ties to the government here as well, just as there are in most of Qatar’s biggest businesses.
“It’s important to note that QSI and QIA are technically different organizations. They are clear and different from each other, so it’s possible that QSI could own PSG and QIA could own a Premier League club. But they are both very close to the government. If a Qatari investor wants to buy Liverpool and Manchester United, it seems likely that the Premier League’s Owners and Directors Test and UEFA’s FFP regulations will be put to the test: “What is the Qatari state, and what is the Qatari non-state?”
There is definitely interest in Liverpool, but that interest hasn’t turned into anything that FSG leaders have had to make a decision about or hold a high-level meeting about yet.
FSG wanted to test the market because some minority partners said they might be willing to sell their shares. This would give the business a chance to get more money, and the Chelsea sale, which attracted a lot of attention around the world and was worth £2.5 bιllιon, was seen as a good time to do something like “fishing.”
Even though they think the football club is worth more than $4 bιllιon, they are still open to hearing offers that are less than that. In the next couple of months, there could be more serious interest, but how it plays out could depend on how Manchester United’s own sale goes.