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The year 2018 will go down in the history books as one of immense progress for Liverpool.

It started with Ragnar Klavan's last-gasp winner at Burnley and ended with the five-star demolition of Arsenal at Anfield.

From the glorious high of reaching the club's first Champions League final for 11 years to the heartbreaking low of defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev.

Jurgen Klopp picked his players up and bolstered by a real show of ambition in the transfer market he masterminded a record-breaking start to the Premier League season.

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Liverpool sit seven points clear at the summit after a 20-game unbeaten league run and have a mouthwatering Champions League last 16 tie with Bayern Munich to look forward to.

The Reds played 37 Premier League games over the course of the year, winning 27, drawing seven and suffering just three defeats away to Swansea, Manchester United and Chelsea. They scored 84 goals and conceded just 23.

Their tally of 88 points represents their best ever points per game ratio of 2.38 in a calendar year.

Player of the Year

Mohamed Salah has to get the nod just ahead of Virgil van Dijk.

The majestic Egypt attacker scored 37 goals for Liverpool over the course of 2018. The 21 he netted in the second half of last season took his tally for 2017/18 to 44 – the second highest haul in the club's history.

He won the Premier League Golden Boot with a record total of 32 for a 38-game season and was voted PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers' Footballer of the Year.

Salah had to endure the agony of Kiev when he was forced off with a shoulder injury after a cynical challenge from Sergio Ramos.

It took him time to get up to speed this term but in recent months he's made a mockery of that 'one season wonder' talk.

Once again he leads the way with 16 goals under his belt and has flourished since being moved into a central role by Klopp.

Team Performance of the Year

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

There's an embarrassment of riches to pick from. Remarkably, Klopp's side scored four or more goals in 12 games in 2018.

There was the 4-3 victory over Manchester City in January which inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Pep Guardiola's side.

The 5-0 thrashing of Porto was special and the 5-2 win over Roma in the Champions League semi-final first leg was sensational.

Anfield was rocking in December when first Manchester United and then Arsenal were dismantled.

However, in terms of a complete team performance it would have to be the 3-0 win over City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Anfield in April.

A shell-shocked City were outplayed, outfought and out-thought as Klopp put one over Guardiola with a tactical masterclass.

The Reds showcased their attacking brilliance during a stunning first-half burst when goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane blew City away.

But arguably even more impressive was the discipline and the organisation shown to weather the second-half storm when the visitors rallied.

Goal of the Year



(Image: Jason Roberts)

The competition is tough.

Roberto Firmino scored a beauty in the 4-3 win over City when he shrugged off John Stones and dinked it over Ederson.

There was Oxlade-Chamberlain's piledriver in the European victory over City and Salah's looping header from Trent Alexander-Arnold's lofted pass against Bournemouth.

Salah's opener in the semi-final against Roma was pure class as his curler flew in off the underside of the bar.

Runners-up spot goes to Daniel Sturridge for his late equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The world's most expensive keeper had no chance as he whipped a 25-yarder into the top corner.

But Salah wins it for his goal in February's dramatic draw with Tottenham when he slalomed between bewitched defenders Ben Davies and Jan Vertonghen before coolly clipping it over Hugo Lloris. Few players on the planet are capable of producing something out of nothing like that.

Individual Performance of the Year

(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

What a 12 months for Alexander-Arnold, who became the youngest player in the club's history to start a European Cup final and represented England at the World Cup in Russia.

His display against Leroy Sane in the Champions League quarter-final has to be a strong contender. City targeted him but the Academy graduate from West Derby was fearless and kept Sane quiet.

Sadio Mane's hat-trick away to Porto also merits a mention but the winner has to be Salah's four-goal haul against Watford. The 'wizard in the blizzard' was irresistible that night.

Worst Game of the Year

It would have to be April's 0-0 draw at Goodison.

Klopp made changes as it fell between the two legs of the quarter-final against Man City and Everton weren't good enough to take advantage.

It was akin to watching paint dry. No goals, no bookings, little drama – the ultimate damp squib.

Disappointment of the Year

(Image: PA)

Kiev. For half an hour Liverpool were the better side against Real Madrid. Doubts about how the Reds would handle the occasion had been well and truly answered.

But then Ramos cynically took Salah out of the game and momentum shifted. Loris Karius' meltdown after he had taken a blow to the head from Ramos gift-wrapped the trophy for the Spaniards. It was painful to watch as the German keeper imploded.

The effects of concussion or just out of his depth? We'll never really know but Klopp was already planning to replace him.

Moment of the Year

It would have to be Divock Origi's 96th minute derby winner.

Liverpool have inflicted plenty of body blows to Everton over the years but few quite as devastating as this one.

Virgil van Dijk's looping volley looked harmless but Jordan Pickford made an absolute hash of it as England's No 1 flapped and turned the ball on to the bar.

Origi pounced and gleefully accepted the gift as he nodded home the rebound to become the most unlikely of derby heroes.

Que mayhem. Absolute mayhem. Anfield was engulfed by ecstasy.

Klopp's manic celebrations as he charged 40 yards on to the pitch and into the welcoming arms of Alisson Becker cost him £8,000 but it was worth every penny.

That goal was the catalyst for a record-breaking December as Liverpool won eight successive matches in a calendar month for the first time in their history.

Signing of the Year

Shrewd recruitment has been key to Liverpool taking the next step under Klopp in 2018.

The £65million signing of Alisson from Roma addressed an area of glaring weakness and the Brazil No 1 has been a revelation – keeping 12 clean sheets in 20 league games.

He's a commanding presence and has instilled confidence in those around him.

Xherdan Shaqiri has to be the bargain of 2018 at £12.5million, while Fabinho has started to give Liverpool a return on their £43million investment. There's much more to come from Naby Keita.

However, the best signing of the year by some distance has to be Van Dijk. The most expensive defender in world football has also proved himself to be the most gifted. His impact since his £75million move from Southampton has exceeded even the wildest expectations.

The Dutchman hasn't looked back since scoring that dream winner on his debut against the Blues in the FA Cup. He's a leader and he has turned Liverpool's backline into the meanest in the top-flight.