Liverpool go 40 games unbeaten: 8 things that have happened since they last lost
Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop marvel at Liverpool beating Wolves despite a rough second half. (1:37)
Liverpool are now at 40 matches unbeaten, which made us wonder what has happened in the world since they last lost in the Premier League.
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The Reds continued on their approach to an historic title win with a victory over Wolves at Molineux in midweek. Another late goal saw them poach a 2-1 win and bolster their lead at the Premier League summit to a frankly chasm-like 16 points.
The result saw Jurgen Klopp’s side extend their unbeaten run to a 40th consecutive match, becoming just the fifth side in English Football League history to reach that particular milestone.
Indeed, it’s well over a calendar year (381 days) since they lost in the league — a streak that dates way back to Jan. 3, 2019 and a 2-1 loss against Man City.
Since then …
1. Liverpool have dropped just two points …
Yes, that’s 14 straight wins since the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the autumn. By way of comparison, Manchester United have lost 12 games and dropped 57 points since Liverpool last lost.
By the way, the season record for the most consecutive wins stands at 18 (Manchester City, 2017).
One step closer to history 🔴 pic.twitter.com/ys7ExXVNO4
2. … And won a trophy or three
Klopp’s men beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final in June.
Then beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul in August
Then beat Brazilian side Flamengo 1-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup final in December to pick up their third trophy of the year.
3. Trent Alexander-Arnold has laid on 19 assists
Putting in more than any other player in the Premier League, the young full-back has also become the first player since Cesc Fabregas to register more than 10 assists in two separate seasons before turning 21.
Thierry Henry’s 17-year season record stands at 20, with Alexander-Arnold on 10 this season and Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne on 15.
Local lad Trent Alexander-Arnold takes ESPN FC on an exclusive tour of his native Liverpool, as his beloved Reds prepare for their Champions League Final against Spurs.
4. There have been 18 managerial changes in the Premier League
Managers have been coming and going, beginning with David Wagner’s departure from Huddersfield (Jan. 14, 2019) right up to David Moyes replacing Manuel Pellegrini in the West Ham dugout (Dec. 28, 2019).
Of the “top six” clubs, Man City are the only ones not to have axed a boss. Man United (Jose Mourinho, now Ole Gunnar Solksjaer); Chelsea (Maurizio Sarri, now Frank Lampard); Arsenal (Unai Emery, now Mikel Arteta) and Tottenham (Mauricio Pochettino, now Mourinho) have all changed their top man.
5. We know what a black hole really looks like
In the wider world, great advances have been made in science, with astronomers showing us something nobody had ever seen before.
The first image of a black hole was just released. 55 million light years from Earth. Made possible by a team of over 200 scientists.
Here’s everything you need to know: https://t.co/F14Wgn4XdB pic.twitter.com/VVKvBIMkTX
The black hole is roughly 53 million light years from Earth and situated in a galaxy called M87. Nothing can escape its gravitational pull — much like Liverpool’s unstoppable, inevitable march to the title.
6. Rare albino panda spotted
Rarer than Liverpool winning a Premier League title, an albino panda was spotted for the first time ever at a natural reserve in the Sichuan Province of China.
A fully albino giant panda has been filmed roaming bamboo forests in China — the first ever recorded in the wild, an expert says. https://t.co/30G899jNjF pic.twitter.com/dbABY3acNu
Brown-and-white pandas have been seen before in China, but all-white is a new discovery. We can’t confirm reports that the panda was later seen wearing a James Milner shirt.
7. Sculpture becomes world’s most expensive artwork
Liverpool paid a world-record £75m fee for defender Virgil van Dijk back in 2018, before it was then broken by Man United’s £85m signing of Harry Maguire from Leicester in the summer.
But both players cost marginally more than “Rabbit,” a stainless-steel sculpture by artist Jeff Koons created in 1986, which sold for $91.1m (around £70m back then) at auction in May to become the most expensive work by a living artist.
8. The Queen posts on Instagram
Perhaps the most potent example of how time has moved on since Liverpool’s last defeat, the 93-year-old Queen of England has booted up her tablet and joined the Instagram generation.
Elizabeth II reportedly used an iPad to share a photo of a letter written to Prince Albert, her great-great-grandfather, in 1843.
Wonder what she’ll post when Liverpool eventually wrap up the league?