EPL: All eyes on Sunday's climactic finish to an enthralling season

The writer posing next to Liverpool memorabilia at the Hilton Liverpool. -- ST PHOTO: CHIA HAN KEONG
The writer posing next to Liverpool memorabilia at the Hilton Liverpool. -- ST PHOTO: CHIA HAN KEONG

One thing that struck me immediately as I landed in England, bleary-eyed after a 13-hour flight -- everyone has an opinion about football.

From the gregarious security officer who checked my passport, to the young mother of two who sat in front of me during the flight, all of them chipped in with their two cents' worth about this enthralling Premier League title race.

"I'm a West Ham fan, so I'm on your side on Sunday," said the security officer. Suddenly the long queue for passport check seemed far more pleasant than it should have been.

"I'm from Manchester. You guys have no chance," said the young mother. Fair enough, ma'am, all the pressure's on your team then.

Even during the coach ride from Manchester Airport to Liverpool, one cannot get away from football, with the bus' TV screen tuned to the 24-hour sports channel, which was naturally full of EPL news.

So yes, it is great for fans like me to soak in the atmosphere even before tomorrow's big match at Anfield.

Both Liverpool and Manchester City have apparently approached their respective city police departments for victory parades around their cities should they land the title.

So one city will get the chance on Monday to come out onto their streets to witness their hometown football heroes lifting the trophy on open-top buses, while the other will quietly go about trying to dull the pain of just missing out.

For now though, optimism is coursing through both cities, each believing their teams will do all they can to ensure they can grasp the trophy come tomorrow night.

For me, I just hope the Reds fulfil their side of the bargain and beat Newcastle. Whether we win or miss out on the EPL trophy, this season has been one memorable ride for fans worldwide. Just to see the fans feeling excited about a title challenge simply justifies why the club use You'll Never Walk Alone as their anthem.

More than any other club's songs and anthems, Liverpool's anthem is about togetherness - through good and bad times. Hopefully, this season will bring about more fans to join in this family of supporters. Walk on.

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