If there was ever a moment to make Liverpool fans break out in a cold sweat, this was it.
In the 81st minute, Ibe—who had already squandered three one-on-one chances—stood over the penalty spot.
If he scored, Liverpool would all but seal a 1–0 win over Huddersfield.
If he missed, the blow to morale would be severe.
On the bench, Leo Lin watched his young teammate and couldn't help but pray for him.
"Ibe sets the ball down!"
"Three steps back."
"Here comes the run-up!"
"Goes to the left!"
"He's finally scored!!!"
"One–nil! The youngster Ibe repays Klopp's trust!"
"Liverpool lead Huddersfield by a goal—this has been such a tough match!"
"With a top-of-the-table clash coming up in three days and their position to defend, Klopp rotated boldly tonight and nearly paid the price. Thankfully, Ibe converts from the spot!"
No sooner had Ibe finished celebrating than Klopp made his move. Henderson and Wijnaldum came on to shore things up, replacing Ibe and Danny Ings.
Still catching his breath from the celebration, Ibe looked up to see the substitution board with his number on it. He turned toward Klopp, eyes full of grievance.
"So that's it?"
"You don't love me anymore?"
"Use me and toss me aside?"
"What about the trust?"
"What about all those vows?"
In the studio, Jon Champion burst out laughing before he could stop himself.
"I'm not mocking anyone," he said quickly. "That just reminded me of something funny."
"Ibe probably thought Klopp was showing faith in him. But maybe Klopp just needed to lower his blood pressure. After all, the one who tied the knot has to untie it."
Beside him, Jim Beglin chuckled.
"Heh, heh."
"If you ask me, you can't beat listening to Jon Champion—top-class stuff."
With two midfielders reinforcing the defense, Liverpool held firm. Huddersfield fell 0–1, and Klopp finally let out a long breath.
Matchdays 22 and 23 of the Premier League wrapped up with Liverpool claiming back-to-back wins.
But Manchester City did the same—and even thrashed their city rivals Manchester United 4–0.
To Klopp, it felt like a warning shot.
Like a snowstorm duel—Guardiola striding up with Manchester United's head in hand, slamming it down in front of Liverpool and jabbing a finger at him.
"I don't give a damn about destiny or rival geniuses—I'm coming straight for you!"
Matchday 24: the real summit clash.
With just over a dozen rounds left, whoever won and stayed top would seize control of the title race.
Klopp lived by one rule—never hand the initiative to anyone else. He liked holding his fate in his own hands.
All of Europe's media had their eyes fixed on the showdown. Both sides were in outstanding form.
On February 14th, Sky Sports aired a special pre-match analysis featuring several Premier League legends to predict the result.
Yet once the broadcast began, the atmosphere in the studio was oddly tense. Almost everyone kept sneaking glances at Michael Owen, waiting for him to speak first.
Steven Gerrard's palms were sweating. He just wanted to hear the one sentence he was hoping for.
"I predict Manchester City will beat Liverpool 2–1."
Michael Owen sided with City.
"Yes!!!"
Gerrard pumped his fist in celebration.
Owen blinked in confusion. He had just predicted a City win—wasn't Gerrard a Liverpool legend?
What on earth was he celebrating?
Owen turned to look at City legend Richards. Richards covered his face with one hand, looking utterly dejected.
The livestream chat exploded.
"Super jinx Owen backing City? Perfect. Liverpool are safe."
"Don't celebrate too early. What if this is the one time he actually gets it right this season?"
"You must be new. Golden rule of football: bet against Owen and you'll be living in a seaside villa!"
It was just a prediction, a bit of banter for fans after dinner. No one truly took it to heart.
Guardiola had been studying ways to dismantle Liverpool's attacking patterns. He came into this one with revenge on his mind.
Klopp was no different. From the Bundesliga to the Premier League, they had battled for years—and now they met again at the most critical juncture of a title race.
The Guardiola–Klopp rivalry had become one of modern football's defining clashes.
The buildup should have been fiery, both sides locked in a needle-to-needle standoff.
Instead, Pep Guardiola suddenly posted on social media—and tagged Leo Lin.
The post read:
"My daughter is in my hands. If you play too well the day after tomorrow, you know what happens."
Leo Lin stared at it in disbelief. Even if Guardiola had eaten one more peanut, he probably couldn't have written something this strange.
What did "my daughter is in my hands" even mean?
Wasn't that… obvious?
The comments section exploded with likes and shares. Clearly, Guardiola was acknowledging his daughter's taste.
Leo Lin had just decided to reply when Barnett beat him to it. His comment shot straight to the top within minutes.
Some fans were confused at first. Others instantly caught the joke.
Reading it, Leo Lin immediately regretted ever teaching Barnett that line. Barnett had wasted no time turning it into a shot at Guardiola:
Barnett: "One shot in, and the bald man's going down!"
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