Liverpool’s 2013-14 Premier League title charge fell apart after a home defeat to Chelsea, with Brendan Rodgers now revealing the “emotional” flaw behind their collapse.
After an 11-game winning streak, Rodgers’ Liverpool were in pole position to be crowned champions heading into their clash with Jose Mourinho’s side in late April.
But when Steven Gerrard’s slip allowed Demba Ba to give the Blues a first-half lead, and Willian capped the win with a breakaway goal in stoppage time, the title was no longer in Liverpool’s hands.
The Reds’ title chase would completely unravel the following week as they threw away a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and Man City went on to be crowned champions.
Eight years on, Rodgers, who’s now in charge at Leicester, has revealed where he thinks Liverpool went wrong.
“There was a lot of emotion in that Chelsea game,” he told Kammy and Ben’s Proper Football Podcast.
“So if I was to do anything different, it would be that.
“I would’ve maybe framed the emotional side of it a little bit differently.
“But actually, the game idea, you wouldn’t do that (do anything different). You wouldn’t ask Pep Guardiola to do something totally different for that game. We went out to attack the game and for 70 minutes we played really well.
“The first half, we should’ve been up. José had them banked up. They were deep, they were tight, we just couldn’t make the breakthrough.
“Then right on half time, we had the unfortunate slip with Stevie and they score. That then makes it even harder and we’re chasing the game then. Probably that little bit of inexperience, from the team and maybe from me as well… it becomes emotional then.
“Really we could’ve drew the game and gone on and won the title.”
Rodgers went on to claim he was proud of the philosophy his Liverpool team followed and has no regrets about their approach to any of the matches towards the end of that campaign
His side would eventually finish two points behind champions Man City, in what was a rollercoaster of a season.
“I’d rather die knowing that we tried to play how we played,” he continued.
“Sit defensive and deep? You just don’t do that.
“My philosophy has been to attack. Attacking means defending well. That was the trademark of that team.
“It was just one of those things. We nearly did it.”
