Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

All week we are asking for your Jurgen Klopp memories as the German manager nears his final game. Send your best images to #bbcfootball on X. And send your memories of Klopp in via our form here.

Dinah Davies: Klopp brought joy back to supporting Liverpool. His enthusiasm, his passion, hugs to his players, his great smile and his love of the club and city of Liverpool will always live in our hearts. Enjoy your downtime Jurgen.

Roger: Liverpool have been lucky to have had some great managers over the years, but nobody since Shankly has connected with the fans in the way that Klopp has. But for Man City, the trophy haul would have been greater. The game needs characters, and he will not just be a huge loss to Liverpool, but also the Premier League.

Janet: Jurgen Klopp is more than just a manager of Liverpool. He's fun, caring and had Liverpool playing some of the best football I have ever seen in my 35 years supporting LFC. He's an total one off. He's 'Our Klopp'. We love him and always will.

Image source, Getty

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp looked to be fighting back tears as he acclaimed the club's travelling fans for the final time at Villa Park on Monday night.

Klopp's nine-year reign will end amid what are sure to be highly emotional scenes when Liverpool face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool's supporters spent much of the 3-3 draw with Aston Villa indulging in what sounded like a dress rehearsal for the farewell they plan to give the beloved Klopp when he takes his leave.

It is the end of a golden era in which Klopp won the Champions League, returned the title to Anfield for the first time in 30 years and won both domestic cups, including the League Cup this season.

Liverpool will, in time, announce Feyernoord coach Arne Slot as Klopp's replacement but the final day of the Premier League season at Anfield will all be about paying tribute to the charismatic German who has brought them so much joy since he arrived in October 2015.

Read Phil McNulty's Villa Park analysis

Image source, Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp will leave his role as manager of Liverpool this summer, having overseen a prolonged period of success that has resulted in the club returning to the highest echelons of European and world football.

During a reign of nearly nine years at Anfield, his impact has been huge off the pitch as well as on it.

Speaking on The Jurgen Klopp Story, a BBC documentary about the departing Liverpool boss, former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson said: "He is the closest to [Bill] Shankly I think they've had.

"Just the way he is with the supporters, the club, he gets the history and everything. He even embraces the old lads like myself, whereas in the past one or two of the former managers didn't really want us around, but he's not like that. He points you out to people, he will grab people over and say 'hey, this fella won five league titles' and all that kind of stuff.

"I would say the best thing about him is his man-management. Not just the players, but everybody who works there and they really would walk on water for him."

Listen to the full programme on BBC Sounds

Liverpool are way too easy to score goals against.

Arsenal have let in 28. Manchester City, 33. Liverpool, 41. That's why Jurgen Klopp's side will not fight for the title on the final day of the season.

Against Aston Villa on Monday night, it was the same old story. One semi-promising attack for the opposition leads to a goal and the entire vibe of the game shifts.

Liverpool started well, but the ease in which Aston Villa equalised in the first-half set the tone. You don't have to work hard to score versus Liverpool, which is simply not right considering Virgil van Dijk is in central defence and Alisson is in goal.

There is a structural issue regarding how much the midfield protects the backline and it's something incoming manager Arne Slot will have to fix.

Does he need to buy a new holding midfielder? Maybe.

Will Trent Alexander-Arnold move into the centre full-time and play alongside a more dedicated anchorman in a double-pivot? Hopefully.

It was the abysmal finishing against Manchester United and Crystal Palace that saw Liverpool begin to stumble, but in reality, conceding so many goals and winning matches was never sustainable for a title-challenging side. Third is where Liverpool deserve to finish.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty is answering all of your footballing questions.

Anon asked: Morning Phil, as a Liverpool fan watching our season fizzle out. Do you think I’m justified in feel a little underwhelmed by the appointment of Arne Slot?

Phil answered: Let’s be honest, anyone following Jurgen Klopp might have provoked that reaction apart from perhaps Xabi Alonso, who decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

There is absolutely no reason to be underwhelmed by the appointment apart of Arne Slot other than the fact he is not Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool will have done full due diligence on a coach with personality who has done fine work at Feyenoord and who was a serious candidate for Spurs not so long ago.

I think you just have to trust the club to get it right.

Follow the rest of Phil McNulty's Q&A

We asked for your views on Monday's 3-3 draw between Aston Villa and Liverpool.

Here are some of your answers.

Aston Villa fans

Jon: Nervous and just lacking that killer instinct in front of goal. Emi's mistake totally stunned the crowd and we were left bewildered! However, the two goals from Duran Duran sent the crowd wild! Great game.

Gary: A side playing almost on memory. They were dominated by Liverpool and got pretty lucky. All of the brilliant work has been put in before now.

Theo: Good result in the end, but defensively we weren't at it. I think if Tielemans stayed on we'd have won, but fair play to Chambers and Duran for changing the game. Even more credit to Unai Emery for making the changes to get back into the game. Onto Palace and let's secure Champions League football!

Marco: We showed a lot of nerves tonight right from the off. We've looked exhausted and with a pile of injuries I didn't think we would get anything from this or the Palace game but credit to the Villa boys, it could have ended 6-6.

Liverpool fans

Paul: Heavy metal football - exciting, intense, attractive for sure, but trophies is what counts and at the end of this nine-year love affair, one Premier League, one Champions League and an FA cup is the same as what City did last season. Defence is key and to concede 44 goals in a season is not acceptable. In the 1978-79 season we conceded 16 in 42 games!

Will: Another unconvincing display. On top for long periods and then losing control by making wrong choices. Allison is too casual with the ball at his feet allowing opponents to pressurise him and rush poor passes out to defenders giving them problems. Making four subs at the same time - same as against Spurs - proved once again to break our rhythm. Not great.

David: Liverpool played the last 20 minutes with the Euros and the beach in mind - scared of getting injured and not wanting to give 100% effort. Villa upped their game and Liverpool didn't want to respond. Once again, Salah played with very little interest or desire. Played like a man who knows his time is up at Liverpool. Roll on next season.

Ray: Yet another game where Klopp's substitutions have made the team worse. It's a worrying trend that started during the United cup game. Both sides great going forward but woeful defensively and they're supposedly the third and fourth best teams in the league.

Real Madrid are still interested in signing versatile England international Trent Alexander-Arnold, 25, from Liverpool with his contract situation at Anfield up in the air. (Fabrizio Romano via Football365), external

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hopes to manage all three of his former clubs Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but is not certain in which order. (Abendzeitung - in German), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "You can go through my career - it's really rare we play for nothing in the last two games. I count maybe two or three times.

"I'm not used to that. I'm not sure I'm great at it, to be honest. I wanted us to show character because I don't lack motivation because of negative possibilities but we all know if they win today - 3-0 or 4-0 - then everyone's going for us.

"I saw a team with top character, most importantly. For the character we showed today we should have five points - but we got only one.

"The place was rocking and that's really difficult. I loved the performance and the character we showed. Now it's a home game - which is slightly different - but today we had to show that and the boys did it with flying colours."

On Jarell Quansah: "He played an exceptional game, trying to play against Ollie Watkins. You can ask that of a lot of centre-backs and they would struggle. He did extremely well. So often he saved our backside in decisive moments. Really nice development and he deserves that now."

On the fans: "I have no doubt about our relationship. I appreciate that a lot. I can't yet put it really into words because I have to protect myself a little bit. The emotions will come out."

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It was a disappointing one, really. I think the way we controlled the game for large amounts of it and just to not be able to get over the line and concede two late goals is always gutting. It's something we can look at and pick apart.

"We have got to kill the game and got to keep the ball for longer periods, really run the legs off them so they don't have a chance.

"We've let them back in it and Villa Park, when it gets buzzing like that, is always going to be tough and I think we fed the crowd a little bit."

On scoring his first Premier League goal: "I've been waiting for that moment. I don't score too many goals so when it goes in the back of net, you just saw the emotion come out.

"I just tried to get the best contact on it as I could. I'm thankful it went in."

On celebrating in front of fans: "The way the crowd celebrated was a surreal moment - definitely one I'll never forget."

On Sunday being Jurgen Klopp's last game in charge: "We've definitely got to play our way and give him a good send-off. Just keep fighting until the death."

The pick of the facts and figures after the thrilling draw between Aston Villa and Liverpool on Monday.

• Emiliano Martinez's own goal after 61 seconds was the earliest scored in a Premier League game since Antolin Alcaraz put the ball in his own net after just 54 seconds for Everton against Southampton in April 2014, while it was the earliest away goal Liverpool have scored in the competition since May 2011.

• It was Martinez's third own goal in the Premier League - the most by a goalkeeper in the competition.

• Liverpool have conceded two or more goals in four consecutive league games for the first time since April/May 2014. Indeed, only between February and April 1999 have the Reds had a longer such run in the competition.

• Ollie Watkins has provided 13 assists in the league this season, more than any other player. Indeed, only Ashley Young (14 in 2007-08) has provided more assists for Villa in a Premier League campaign.

• The Reds have now scored 140 goals this season, making it their second-highest-scoring campaign after 2021-22 (147).

Aston Villa staged a dramatic late comeback against Liverpool at Villa Park to earn a vital point in the race for fourth place in the Premier League.

Villa could have confirmed Champions League football for the first time with victory and there was a carnival atmosphere before kick-off as Hollywood legend and celebrity supporter Tom Hanks addressed the crowd.

Unai Emery's side looked to be leaving the door open for rivals Tottenham as they trailed 3-1 with five minutes left but two goals from substitute Jhon Duran snatched an unlikely draw.

The early party mood was punctured inside two minutes after a horrendous error by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who somehow fumbled Harvey Elliott’s deflected cross into his own net in front of a stunned Holte End.

Villa responded when Youri Tielemans powered home an equaliser after 12 minutes but Liverpool restored their lead as they cut the home defence wide open, Cody Gakpo tapping in Joe Gomez’s cross.

The home side looked tense but still created chances, Diego Carlos and Moussa Diaby both guilty of glaring misses as they pressed for an equaliser.

Liverpool made Villa's task even harder when they extended their lead three minutes after the interval, young defender Jarell Quansah towering above Lucas Digne to score his first Premier League goal.

Substitute Duran set up a grandstand finish when his low shot beat Alisson with five minutes left then Villa Park went wild as Diaby's shot deflected in off the striker.

Villa are still in pole position to reach next season’s Champions League and will hope reigning champions and title favourites Manchester City can aid their cause when they play top-four rivals Spurs on Tuesday night.

Were you at the ground or following along from home?

Villa fans, give us your thoughts on the game, external

Tell us what you made of the performance, Reds supporters, external

Follow all the reaction here

The line-ups for Aston Villa against Liverpool are in, with less than an hour to go before kick-off at Villa Park.

Follow all of the build-up here

Jurgen Klopp is the smiling, bear-hugging coach who leaves Liverpool having led the club to eight trophies - including winning the Champions League and a first Premier League title.

But what do you know about his Black Forest roots, and his journey from second division footballer to managerial master?

Sportsworld's John Bennett takes you to Klopp's home village of Glatten, to Mainz where he was a player for a decade, then tasted promotion and relegation as a manager - and to Dortmund where he won trophies, became a celebrity and had a pop song written in his honour.

Hear from school friends, players, executives and fans about how he developed his coaching philosophy, his big personality, his gifts as an orator and the man-management skills that set him apart from many of his peers.

This award-winning programme is the comprehensive back story of one of the most revered coaches of modern times - and it has now been updated to include Klopp's nine years at Anfield and the legacy he leaves in Liverpool.

Listen to the full programme on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp's stay at Anfield is days away from its conclusion. It's a time where fans will reflect on so many shared memories and an era of adventure.

But we want to know what your best Klopp memory is. Did you meet him? Maybe he brought a smile in a personal way? Let us know using the form here and if you have any personal images of Klopp's reign or maybe even with the man himself, send them to #bbcfootball on X.

Image source, Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp's summer exit has been the headline change in a period of widespread transition at Anfield.

As our timeline below demonstrates, the exit of the much-heralded Michael Edwards as sporting director in 2022 was surrounded by events which have, ultimately, ended in him returning to the club in a more powerful position.

The question is now if owners Fenway Sports Group have managed to construct a team of executives capable of managing the transition from Klopp to a new face in the Anfield dughout.

• November 2021: Michael Edwards announces he will leave sporting director role in summer of 2022.

• April 2022: Jurgen Klopp extends his contract to 2026.

• Summer 2022: Edwards' deputy Julian Ward takes up the sporting director role.

• November 2022: Ward announces he will leave the club the following summer. Former defender Jamie Carragher speaks of perceived "upheaval behind the scenes".

• May 2023: Jorg Schmadtke joins Liverpool as sporting director.

• January 2024: Announced Schmadtke to leave role at end of season.

• January 2024: News breaks Klopp will step down at end of season.

• March 2024: Michael Edwards returns as chief executive of football for Fenway Sports Group, owners of Liverpool.

• March 2024: It is announced Bournemouth's Richard Hughes will join as sporting director at the end of the season.

• May 2024: Julian Ward returns as technical director for Fenway Sports Group.

• May 2024: Pedro Marques joins Reds as director of football development from Benfica.

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's matches, he takes on Kasabian frontman Serge Pizzorno.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Aston Villa need one win from their last two games to be sure of fourth spot. I am not sure they will get it here but they probably won't need it, because Spurs are not going to catch them now.

I am not convinced by Liverpool either, but they always create chances and there should be a few goals in this one.

Serge's prediction: 2-1

It is tough to call because Villa are so good at home but then you have got the Jurgen Klopp factor with him only having a couple of games left as Liverpool boss. I do have a feeling Villa's home support will help them edge it though, and it could be one of those nights where the Holte End sucks the ball into the net.

Read all of the predictions here

Image source, PA Media

Jurgen Klopp's penultimate match as Liverpool manager is against Aston Villa at Villa Park, a ground where his team has had contrasting fortunes in recent seasons.

The Reds scored two late goals to seal a memorable win there during their 2019-2020 title-winning season, although they were thrashed 7-2 at the same venue 11 months later.

Manchester City's victory at Fulham on Saturday ended Liverpool's slim hopes of winning the Premier League this season, but Klopp has said there is still plenty for his team to play for against a Villa side that will qualify for next season's Champions League if they win.

"We have the chance to go above 80 points again and for that we need to win one of the two games at least," said the German.

"Aston Villa is the next chance. It's the last home game of the season for Aston Villa - they want to have a good last home game because they have played an incredible season. This year Europa Conference League, next year Champions League - Unai [Emery] is doing an incredible job there and is one of the best we have in the business. Wherever he [has been], he had success.

"We all know how important it is for a club to qualify for the Champions League and how difficult it is to do that."

Liverpool are interested in 23-year-old Newcastle United and England winger Anthony Gordon, who began his career at Merseyside rivals Everton. (Star), external

Colombia forward Luis Diaz has played down links to a move to Paris St-Germain, with the 27-year-old saying "great years are coming" at Liverpool. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward has been appointed to a new role by the club's Fenway Sports Group owners.

Ward became the Anfield side's sporting director after Michael Edwards left the role in summer 2022 but, in a decision that surprised and disappointed the Reds, he departed the club at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp announced in January he would be leaving the Merseysiders at the end of this season after almost nine years in charge. Since then, Edwards has been been persuaded to return to the FSG fold as its chief executive of football.

He has now brought back Ward, who will become FSG's technical director on 1 June in a role, like that of Edwards, which will include but not be limited to Liverpool as the organisation looks to add a second club to its portfolio.

Edwards has already appointed a new Liverpool sporting director in Richard Hughes, who will begin his role when he leaves his position as Bournemouth technical director at the end of the campaign.

The restructure at Liverpool is taking place as the Reds prepare for Klopp’s farewell to a role he has been in since October 2015 and with Feyenoord manager Arne Slot set to succeed the German.

Jurgen Klopp has addressed speculation over the future of Darwin Nunez.

The striker has drawn focus on times this season over missed chances and this week talk of a possible summer exit grew when he reportedly deleted Liverpool images from one of his social media platforms.

His manager said he was unaware of plans to move Nunez on.