The Calm before the Storm

By the time the Liverpool squad touched down at John Lennon Airport on Thursday morning, the adrenaline from their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Napoli had already begun to fade.

The journey back from Naples had been quiet and businesslike, the players fully aware that their Champions League triumph was now part of history. The road ahead was even tougher—Manchester City awaited them at Anfield on Sunday.

As soon as they returned to Liverpool, the real work began.

The next three days would be critical. Manchester City wasn't just another Premier League team. They were the reigning champions, a well-oiled machine under Pep Guardiola, and arguably Liverpool's biggest threat to Premier League glory. With just two points separating them at the top of the table, the game at Anfield would set the tone for the season to come.