Liverpool enjoyed perhaps their best performance and result of the season on Sunday, beating Manchester City 2-1 at Anfield to boost their hopes of a top four finish.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are the only unbeaten Premier League team in 2014, and have closed the gap on fourth placed Manchester United to just two points – on Boxing Day, the gap was 10 points and the top four looked a long way off.
It has been quite a turnaround for Brendan Rodgers and his side, who are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League matches, winning eight and drawing three.
The Liverpool manager has a previous record of his sides performing better during the second half of the season.
Over the last three seasons, the Reds have averaged 2.5 points a game from January to May – whilst from August to December this term they averaged just 1.47 points per game.
Rodgers was the favourite to lose his job during the first half of the season after a nightmare start. He and his side have recovered superbly since, but the 2014-15 season will still be looked back on with some painful memories.
Here we have identified the top five disappointments Liverpool have suffered this season.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal 5 lowest points of Liverpool’s 2014/15 season
[/ffc-gallery]
West Ham 3-1 Liverpool
Any hopes of a title challenge were effectively over after just five matches, with West Ham’s 3-1 victory over the Reds at Upton Park already the Reds third loss of the campaign.
Manchester City had beaten Rodgers side comfortably 3-1 at the Etihad, whilst Aston Villa continued their decent record at Anfield with a 1-0 victory.
And the Reds followed that up by going two goals down inside the first seven minutes in what was a miserable evening in east London.
The game ended 3-1 in the Hammers favour, and Reds fans quickly realised this was set to be a very different campaign to the one that had gone previously.
Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea
The Reds went into this Premier League clash with Chelsea on the back of disappointing defeats to Newcastle and Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Mario Balotelli was still to score a league goal in a Red shirt, and once again led the line in what was another disappointing afternoon in front of the Kop.
Despite taking an early lead through Emre Can, Chelsea levelled quickly with Liverpool conceding yet another goal from a set piece.
Diego Costa’s winner in the second half hardly came as a surprise, whilst Steven Gerrard being denied the opportunity to exact some sort of revenge with a late penalty when the referee failed to spot a handball from Gary Cahill simply rubbed more salt in the wounds.
Crystal Palace 3-1 Liverpool
The Reds saw their title challenge collapse with consecutive games at home to Chelsea and away to Crystal Palace last season. And this term the corresponding fixtures almost brought an end to Brendan Rodgers Liverpool career.
The 3-1 defeat in the rain at Selhurst Park saw Liverpool produce arguably their worst performance under the Northern Irishman, and represented four consecutive defeats in all competitions.
Rodgers became the odds on favourite to be the first Premier League manager to lose his job, with the result sending the Reds down to 12th place in the table – just four points above the drop zone.
Liverpool 1-1 Basel
With their league campaign in tatters, Liverpool hoped the Champions League might prove their saving grace once again.
That dream was ended with little fight in December however, with Swiss champions FC Basel qualifying ahead of the Reds after a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
Liverpool managed just one win in their six group games, losing twice to Real Madrid, drawing in Bulgaria against FC Ludogorets who they had previously beaten at Anfield, as well as suffering a dismal 1-0 defeat to Basel in Switzerland.
An early exit from Europe’s elite competition was just what they deserved, despite Steven Gerrard curling in a stunning free kick on what proved to be his final European game for the club.
Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool
Losing to Manchester United is a low point in any Liverpool season, but the manner of this 3-0 defeat in September was particularly hard to take.
Brendan Rodgers side were dominant for much of this fixture, but a mixture of poor defending, poor officiating and excellent goalkeeping from David De Gea saw them come away from Old Trafford with a 3-0 defeat.
Wayne Rooney, an offside goal from Juan Mata and Robin van Persie scored the goals, as Raheem Sterling missed a number of chances as a central striker in the Reds new 3-4-2-1 system.
Although the defeat was tough to take, it was actually the match that signalled the change in Liverpool’s fortunes. They have not lost in the Premier League since.
