Robertson: Let's make 2019 a special year
Andy Robertson's resolution for 2019 is to help ensure Liverpool's remarkable progress over the past 12 months is translated into success.
A scintillating 5-1 victory against Arsenal on Saturday guaranteed the Reds a cushion at the top of the Premier League heading into the New Year.
Jürgen Klopp’s side have yet to taste defeat in their 20 league games so far this season and set a new club record of 2.38 points-per-match over the course of the calendar year.
Having reached the Champions League final in May, Liverpool booked their place in the last 16 of the current edition and will face Bayern Munich over two legs.
Plenty to be satisfied with, then, but Robertson knows his side have not achieved anything yet – and wants to make sure they do in the coming months.
“At Anfield we’ve been incredible,” the Scot told Liverpoolfc.com after Roberto Firmino’s hat-trick plus goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah defeated the Gunners.
“You can throw in the special Champions League nights we’ve had here as well. It has been a special year at Anfield – I’m sure the fans have enjoyed it and so have we.
“But now it’s about taking that form into 2019 because nothing has been achieved this year.
“We came close of course in May and we have started well this season but we need to go into 2019 and hopefully that calendar year can bring a trophy.”
For the first time in a year, Liverpool trailed in a Premier League match at Anfield after Ainsley Maitland-Niles pounced to put Arsenal ahead on 11 minutes.
But the lead was short-lived – Firmino scored twice in the space of 90 seconds to overturn a scoreline that was added to by Mane and Salah before the break.
Watch: Extended highlights of the 5-1 win
“The response was brilliant and we stayed in control,” said Robertson. “We didn’t panic and we kept on playing our football, kept the ball down, and that’s how the first goal came about.
“Fair play to us for getting back into the game and then obviously the fans get right behind you. To be 4-1 up at half-time was incredible.
“But we knew how hard the second half was going to be because sometimes the easiest thing is to sit back and we knew how good Arsenal were.
“It was important in the first five or 10 minutes we really kicked on; we had a few chances and then to score the fifth made it a really nice afternoon.”
The win opened up a nine-point lead for Klopp’s men at the Premier League summit before Manchester City’s clash with Southampton on Sunday.
Next, the Reds face the reigning champions in a massive encounter at Etihad Stadium on Thursday night to kick off their 2019 schedule.
Robertson insisted the Liverpool players will not allow that advantage to influence their thinking, with any drop in performance level likely to be punished.
“We’ve got a fantastic squad and the manager, coaches and backroom staff around us that will keep us on our toes,” said the left-back when asked about rising expectations.
“We can’t take our foot off the gas. If we can keep going, it’s a nice lead but we know how easily the Premier League can change.
“Who would have expected Man City to get zero points against Crystal Palace and Leicester? No disrespect to them but everybody was thinking Man City were untouchable. But that’s how the gap has happened.
“We would be daft to think it can’t happen to us. So we need to be at 100 per cent in every game and if we are then I believe we can achieve something special.”