Liverpool fans will try not to laugh too hard, but they would have enjoyed the chaos of the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Manchester City and Arsenal were handed a lesson by two seasoned heavyweight boxers when Real Madrid and Bayern Munich booted them out of Europe’s elite competition.
It was penalty heartache for the current holders, whilst Arsenal failed to lay a glove on Bayern and will fear, just like Liverpool, that their season could be up by the end of the week after they dropped points in the Premier League title race at the weekend.
That’s two English teams out of Europe, with only Liverpool, West Ham United and Aston Villa remaining to fly the flag.
Before any of that action unfolds on Thursday evening, Stan Collymore was sure to rub salt into Arsenal and Manchester City’s wounds on Twitter.
When it comes to English teams, no club is better or greater than Liverpool in Europe, with six Champions League trophies proudly in the club’s cabinet.
Led by the great Pep Guardiola, Manchester City joined that party last season for the first time.
But unlike Liverpool in the 70’s, they weren’t able to retain it and Collymore was sure to remind Man City that it’s ‘not for everyone’.
Added to that, he was also keen to remind the blue half of Manchester that they have certain charges hovering above their heads amid this current success.
But perhaps his most brutal of messages was aimed at Arsenal, who have never won the Champions League or European Cup in old money.
The former striker put up pictures of Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa all lifting that trophy once upon a time and how you aren’t a big club if your team hasn’t lifted one of those crowns.
Manchester City and Arsenal knocked out of the Champions League
“Don’t forget kids, you’re only a big club when you’ve won the European Cup,” wrote Collymore. “And you’re only a really big club when you’ve done it without cheating. Innit fam. Brrraaap braaap.
“Retaining the European Champions Cup. Not for everyone.”
Atalanta v Liverpool
Who says the unthinkable can’t happen?!
This isn’t a case of the team not creating chances, there are plenty of them, it’s just that Jurgen Klopp needs someone to showcase some ruthless nature in front of goal.
In truth, Liverpool are creating enough chances to actually score the four goals required to progress against Atalanta and book a semi-final ticket in the Europa League.
And with it likely that Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota both start together, then you never know what might happen.