Heart as big as Liverpool

‘Never let your heart rule your head’

I’ve never liked that saying.

Fortunately, at this point, I have no choice but to completely ignore that overused, clichéd phrase that values logic above emotion. My head, like most Liverpool supporters’ had gone weeks ago. I’ve been relying on heart for a while now. Sunday 13th April 2014 was a day for Liverpool’s heart to hang in there and somehow keep beating. It did. Only just. But it did.

On Sunday, the two best football teams in England put on a exhibition of ebullient football that glistened with dazzling beauty in the spring sun at Anfield. It was truly a sight to behold. Logic nowhere. Emotion everywhere. Head nowhere. Heart everywhere.

First Liverpool. Suarez’s beautiful backside and perfect pass. Sterling’s body swerve and finish. Thump, thump, thump went the heart. Skrtel’s seventh of the season. Thump, thump, thump. Then City. So much City. Endless, omnipresent City. David Silva putting on his ballet shoes and leading the Reds a merry dance for thirty agonising minutes……Thump……thump……thump. Finally, an errant clearance and one perfect swing of a Brazilian right boot. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! The final whistle. Liverpool’s heart still beating.

Nothing is won for the Reds yet. Nothing is lost for Manchester City or Chelsea, either. Silva, Nasri and co will continue to bewitch defences until the 11th of May. Chelsea will strain every sinew to envelop the beautiful light of attacking football emitted by their two title rivals with their existential void of defensive darkness. Jose Mourinho has somehow dragged his pragmatic but uninspiring side into a position where one victory at his most detested venue – Anfield – in two weeks time will likely give him another league title. The head tells you that he can succeed, too.

His record at Anfield in the league is good. So are his results against his title rivals. His team have faced Liverpool and City on three occasions in this competition so far and won every single time. He has his mind games. He has a press that is willing to lap up his nonsensical , hypocritical musings. He’s been here before. He’s done it before. Three of his teams’ final four fixtures might as well be written off as Chelsea victories such is the ease of them on paper. Logic tells us that the Portuguese has it in his power to make sure that this most exciting of title races culminates with it’s least exciting challenger at the summit.

Sod logic. Logic is the work of the head. This season tells us to ignore it. Sunday told to us ignore it:

With fifteen minutes left on the Anfield clock, Liverpool were spent and Manchester City were the team in the ascendency. Logic wasn’t telling anyone that the Reds would win that game. But they did. Oh, how they did! To paraphrase the great man himself – Logic? What a word, eh? Stricken from the record! I object to it!

Logic has no place in this title race. The head has no place in this title race. It’s all about heart from here on in, ladies and gentlemen. What player wants this title more than Steven Gerrard? What crowd will scream and shout with every last breath to get over the line more than the Anfield masses? Whose heart is bigger than Liverpool’s?

Norwich away. Thump. Chelsea at home. Thump. Crystal Palace away. Thump. Newcastle at home. Thump.

The heart will always rule the head.