'Jurgen Klopp must have really angered Frank Lampard for him to have reacted like that'

Liverpool and Chelsea are set to lock horns once again this weekend, reigniting a rivalry that previously saw Frank Lampard accuse Jurgen Klopp of ‘giving it the biggun.’ Currently sitting first and fourth in the Premier League respectively, Arne Slot’s Reds and Enzo Maresca’s Blues have both begun this season in outstanding form.

Spearheaded by the dazzling Cole Palmer, Chelsea have already netted 16 goals, a figure only surpassed by Manchester City. Liverpool, on the other hand, have only dropped points once this season, teasing that this upcoming clash could be as intense as their encounter four years ago.

The infamous touchline row between Lampard and Klopp in 2020, which saw the Englishman let loose a string of expletives before the Premier League trophy was lifted at Anfield, was defended by his uncle, Harry Redknapp, and as both teams prepare to face off at 4:30pm this Sunday, memories of that heated exchange are likely to resurface.

Back in July 2020, Chelsea visited Anfield, with Klopp’s Reds having already clinched the league title. This match provided them with the opportunity to finally hoist the coveted Premier League trophy, albeit without any fans present due to the pandemic.

The game began with a guard of honour, but tempers soon flared as the first half drew to a close. Mateo Kovacic was penalised for a foul, much to the chagrin of Blues boss Lampard – who firmly believed his player had won the ball, and made that fact known, reports the Mirror.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stunning subsequent free-kick to make it 2-0 to the Reds escalated tensions as Lampard was overheard furiously telling Jurgen Klopp to “f**k off” and accusing him of acting superior. The affair saw no comeback from Lampard’s side, either ending in a 5-3 defeat.

Redknapp jumped to his nephew’s defence at the time, telling The Sun: “Frank has been around professional football since he was a toddler. He doesn’t need advice from anyone, although I’ve lots of respect for Klopp.

“Frank is very calm usually, he doesn’t tend to get involved in things like this. For him to react like that, it must have been something to really wind him up. Frank respects Jurgen. And I know he will just want to shake hands on it if he can and move on.

“You don’t play so long at the very top and then become a Premier League manager so quickly if you don’t have brains. It would be good for them just to put it behind them. Their paths will cross and it doesn’t help either of them if they can’t just see it as one of those moments when tempers are frayed.”

Lampard experienced a similar outcome two months later, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Klopp’s side in the rematch. He was dismissed shortly thereafter, in January 2021, and despite returning to the club as interim manager in April 2023, he never again faced Klopp from the sidelines.

This upcoming occasion will mark the first time in almost ten years that Chelsea will confront the Reds without Klopp leading them, and if the teams’ current records are any indication, we may see more fireworks.