18 January 2024 , 09:21
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Jamie Carragher has said he blames Simon Mignolet for Demba Ba's infamous goal in 2014, which came after Steven Gerrard slipped, ultimately costing Liverpool the title.
The Reds were in the midst of an 11-game winning run and took on a much-changed Blues side at Anfield. A win would've kept them in control of their destiny but Gerrard gave the ball away in the first half, which allowed Ba to race clear and put Chelsea ahead.
That put them 1-0 up and they eventually secured a 2-0 win thanks to a tactical masterclass by Jose Mourinho. Gerrard's fall remains iconic, but Carragher insists the Liverpool goalkeeper should've done far more in his one-on-one situation.
He told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet: "I still blame Simon Mignolet for that goal with Demba Ba [Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea on 27th April 2014]; he was so straight going through on goal, there was nowhere he could put it except through the keeper's legs. He was running so straight on goal that I think it was difficult to score and there was nowhere else he could go."
Gerrard and Liverpool had seen off Manchester City at Anfield in a crucial title clash just two weeks before the Chelsea game. A 3-2 success enhanced their league ambitions with their skipper coming out with his famous "let's not let this slip now" quote in a team huddle.
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The Reds icon has reflected on that moment in his autobiography 'My Story' and said: "I sat in the back of the car and felt the tears rolling down my face. I hadn't cried for years but, on the way home, I couldn't stop. The tears kept coming. I can't even tell you if the streets were thick with traffic or as empty as I was on the inside. It was killing me.
"I felt numb, like I had lost someone in my family. It was as if my whole quarter of a century at this football club poured out of me. I did not even try to stem the silent tears as the events of the afternoon played over and over again in my head."
Steven Gerrard's infamous slip proved costly (Sky Sports)Gerrard would leave Liverpool the following year having won every honour possible except the Premier League title. His effort the previous season was the closest he had come during his career at Anfield.
Ba was previously asked by The Athletic if he felt an ill feeling for scoring: "No, not really. Because that's the game. You make errors and others take advantage. What Steven Gerrard has done for the world of football is tremendous. But this is life, unfortunately. Not all stories can end in fairytales."