It turns out Arsene Wenger may well have had a point. When he declared a couple of years ago that a top-four finish was a “trophy” in itself, his view was met with a chorus of jeers.
For a start, there was no trophy for finishing in the top four, just a place in the Champions League and all the riches and glamour – sometimes alleged more than real – that comes with it.
This trophy devoid of laurels was seen as Wenger’s all too-clever camouflage for Arsenal’s failure to win an actual trophy, one with handles, since the FA Cup was hoisted in 2005.
But how do Liverpool and Manchester United feel about Wenger’s invisible trophy notion this morning?
Excited? Desperate? Both Brendan Rodgers and David Moyes would be happy to mime lifting silver if it meant they had qualified for next season’s Champions League. Wenger is being proved right in unexpected places.
However, it is likely to be a temporary sentiment, at least among supporters. The reason there were empty seats at Arsenal on Wednesday night for the United game was in part due to the trophyless nature of a top-four finish.
The race for the top four is stimulating this season because it is close, but also because Liverpool are in it and Manchester United are not. Swap Liverpool and United in the table and Wenger’s belief loses a lot of its appeal. Maybe novelty is as much a trophy as fourth place.
But Liverpool will snatch at it regardless. It will be hard, visible evidence to them of progress under Rodgers, and of the value of patience. Just as Wenger’s trophy idea would receive unforeseen affirmation from Merseyside, Liverpool’s place in the Champions League next season could be viewed (quietly) at Old Trafford as proof that sticking with a manager is all part of the rebuilding process.
Astute Liverpool boss
One year ago Brendan Rodgers's stock among the faithful at Anfield was akin to Moyes's now. To sit at Anfield on this weekend last year as Liverpool put five past Wembley-bound Swansea City and still feel unease within the ground was not something you could just set aside.
Whereas after the game Michael Laudrup was phlegmatic – he had rested several players for League Cup final against Bradford City the following weekend – Rodgers was circumspect.
He was delighted with the scoreline and Philippe Countinho’s full home debut, but this was six days after Liverpool had lost 2-0 at home to West Brom. It was three weeks after Liverpool had exited the FA Cup at third division Oldham Athletic.
Rodgers bit his lip. He had noticed that scrutiny of his every utterance had increased in intensity. He knew there were many inside the stadium yet to be convinced.
Such tension can become a story and what then goes unsaid is that Rodgers was seven-and-a-half months into the job. He was learning, Liverpool were learning and what can be said 12 months on is that Liverpool have benefited from it all. They are 17 points better off than at the same stage last season. But it was not inevitable; Rodgers has clearly done something.
Given that against Fulham on Wednesday Liverpool fielded a starting XI that included Gerrard, Skrtel, Suarez, Sterling, Flanagan and Henderson, with Agger a late sub, it has not been a Rodgers revolution in staffing. They all pre-date him.
There have been plenty of arrivals, and the €14 million spent on Daniel Sturridge has been more justified than the €13 million spent on Fabio Borini. But Rodgers’s overall impact has been to spike Liverpool’s goalscoring in the Premier League from a total of 47 in the season before he joined to 66 so far with 12 games to play.
Improved goal tally
At their present rate of scoring Liverpool could double their tally of 2011-12. If so, the effect on themselves, and Manchester United, will be felt, it will be visible. If Liverpool continue that scoring rate then they should amass the 20-23 points that would bring a return to the Champions League
– they’ve 26 points from their last 12 league games.
Three of those points and five of those goals came against Arsenal last Saturday. That adds intrigue and pressure to tomorrow’s re-match at Arsenal in the FA Cup.
But not to Liverpool. They have nothing to fear in north London. They can play with attacking freedom – because of where they are in the league, because of the season’s relative novelty, a Liverpool loss would have none of the drama of an Arsenal loss.
Liverpool do not play again until Sunday week – Swansea City back at Anfield three days after the Swans have played Napoli in the Europa League. However, Arsenal entertain Bayern Munich at home in the Champions League next Wednesday. There is no time to relax.
The fixture against the European champions is a reward for Arsenal’s fourth-place finish last May. It is Wenger’s tangible evidence of the trophyless trophy. Listen to those tills.
A problem for him is that Arsenal fans are tiring of hearing and seeing this. To them a trophyless trophy is another way of saying glass ceiling. Curiously, Wenger's idea has more currency at Anfield.
Selection headaches: Cup teaser for big clubs ahead of Champions League
This season's FA Cup was said to be boring. Okay, Swansea won at Manchester United and Watford were two up at Manchester City, but this was not enough for some.
Today and tomorrow should rectify grumbles.
For the draw to pair Arsenal and Liverpool was one boost but for Chelsea to be drawn at Manchester City is the stuff of sponsors’ dreams.
There is already a barrage of white noise between Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho. Last week the Manchester City boss said of the latest Mourinho comment: “There’s a famous sentence: ‘Lie, lie but some things always remain.’ ”
Was that Pellegrini calling Mourinho a liar? If so, it was a change in tone from the normally reserved Chilean.
But then Mourinho does that to people. Even when buttering someone up, he can deliver a jibe – complimenting Brendan Rodgers while pointing out Liverpool’s lack of matches compared to their top- four rivals, for instance.
Of course, Mourinho is unlikely to re-enforce that point by saying City play Barcelona on Tuesday while Chelsea’s next Champions League game is on Wednesday week.
But that could be the difference in the FA Cup. If Pellegrini’s selection today is affected by Barcelona on Tuesday then Chelsea can profit.
We will know definitively when the team sheets come but today – and tomorrow at Arsenal – is set up for the away team to go full pelt.
