The news that Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, was going to quit the club at the end of the season came out of nowhere and sent shockwaves through the game.
After nine years at Anfield, the German had decided that he needed some down time and to recharge his batteries before making his mind up on what to do thereafter.
Given that the Reds are sat at the top of the Premier League table and had just qualified for another Carabao Cup final, there probably wasn’t a better time to make the announcement.
Not that his players needed any more fuel to energise their performances, but knowing that they could bring him success in his final campaign at the club is likely to be a daily driver from this point.
At present, Arsenal are one of a handful of clubs in their slipstream, with Mikel Arteta looking for the ingredients that can get his excellent young side over the line.
After coming so close last season, winning the Premier League title on the 20th anniversary of the Invincibles season would be poetic.
Former club legend, Paul Merson, seems to have overlooked that little detail after suggesting that fans would love Liverpool to win it this season.
‘It is a massive, massive loss for Liverpool, what he (Klopp) has done is put Liverpool back on top again where for 30-odd years that was not the case,’ he wrote in his Sky Sports column.
‘They won one (title) in 30. If you are not an Arsenal, Manchester City or Manchester United fan this year, you’d love to see Liverpool win it.
‘They waited 30 years, then won it in lockdown when it was not the same as the poor fans were not allowed to be there.’