Everything That's Happened in the World Since Mark Lawrenson Last Predicted Liverpool to Lose
By Ali Rampling
It was 15 May 2016. Mark Lawrenson predicted Liverpool would lose the final game of the 2015/16 Premier League season to West Brom.
They drew 1-1 thanks to a Jordon Ibe equaliser.
From ye of little faith, to ye of an absolutely outrageous amount of faith, the BBC pundit then refused to predict a defeat for his former side for another four and a half years during his weekly Lawro's Predictions feature.
But all good things must come to an end (STOP THE COUNT). On 5 November 2020, Lawrenson tipped Liverpool to lose to Manchester City in their upcoming Premier League clash, ending a run of 159 hypothetical games without defeat. Historic.
The landscape of football and indeed the world has changed drastically in that time.
Let's take a gander at everything that's happened since Lawro last predicted Liverpool would lose a game of Premier League football.
1. Liverpool Have Gone from Eighth to Premier League Champions
Lawro had reason to predict a defeat for Liverpool against West Brom during the 2015/16 season - Jurgen Klopp was in the early stages of his Anfield tenure and Jordon Ibe was a regular in the Reds' starting XI. They finished eighth in the Premier League that season - two points behind West Ham.
They have since won the Champions League and the Premier League, equalled the club's record unbeaten home run and gone 159 hypothetical games without defeat.
2. Watford Have Had Seven Different Managers - Including the Same Person Twice
Quique Sanchez Flores was still in charge at Watford when Lawro last predicted Liverpool to lose.
He departed at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, and so followed Walter Mazzarri, Marco Silva, Javi Gracia, Sanchez Flores again, Hayden Mullins temporarily, Nigel Pearson, Mullins temporarily again and Vladimir Ivic. The Hornets have also reached the FA Cup final and been relegated.
3. Jude Bellingham Has Become a Teenager
Bellingham was 12 when Lawrenson tipped the Reds to lose to West Brom.
He's since made his professional debut, secured a move to Borussia Dortmund and learned how to drive.
4. The UK Has Had Three Prime Ministers
David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. In that order.
Before Liverpool took to the field at the Hawthorns, the EU referendum hadn't even taken place, and politicians and the British public hardly understood what Brexit even meant, what it was or how it would manifest.
Haven't we come so far?
5. TikTok Was Released
Released in late 2016, dancey, social platoformy thing TikTok wasn't available the last time Lawro had the Reds down for a defeat.
In the time since, it has been downloaded over 2bn times, while footballers like Alphonso Davies have got really good at it... apparently.
6. Donald Trump Replaced Barack Obama as US President
Obama was still in office when Lawro last tipped Liverpool to lose, but in one of the 2017 January transfer window's less conventional swap deals, he was replaced by Trump eight months later.
Just think how much tax Trump must have paid since Lawrenson last predicted Liverpool to lose!!
7. Mohamed Salah Was Sold by Chelsea & Has Scored 106 Goals for Liverpool
Salah was still a Chelsea player in May 2016, but he made his switch to Roma permanent that summer in a £13.5m deal.
The Egyptian's transfer value had nearly tripled within 12 months, as Liverpool paid £38m to bring him back to England - where he has since scored 106 goals, become the club's top European scorer and been a vital cog in the Reds' real and imagined form.
8. England Have Lost to Iceland, Hired Sam Allardyce, Lost Sam Allardyce & Reached the World Cup Semi Finals
In May 2016, Roy Hodgson's England were still dreaming of European Championship glory. They opted to lose to Iceland in the last 16 instead and Hodgson humbly departed.
Allardyce was drafted in, lasted one game in charge (a 1-0 win, naturally), resigned after allegations of malpractice, Gareth Southgate took the reins and almost made football come home two years later.
9. Chelsea Have Sent Players Out on 97 Loan Spells
Chelsea haven't sent 97 separate players out on loan. That would be ridiculous.
But they have sent their array of young talent out on loan on 97 occasions since Lawro last predicted Liverpool would lose.
10. Manchester United & Real Madrid Have Allowed Women to Play Professional Football
Back in the dark ages of May 2016, neither Manchester United or Real Madrid had a women's football team.
But the blasted feminists got their way. In 2018, United generously offered women the same opportunities as men, and Real quickly followed suit two years later.
PC gone mad.
11. Henrikh Mkhitaryan Joined Manchester United, Left Manchester United, Joined Arsenal & Left Arsenal
Back in May 2016, Mkhitaryan was minding his own business at Borussia Dortmund. He moved to Manchester United for £30m two months later, then joined Arsenal in a swap deal for Alexis Sanchez in January 2018.
The midfielder then made his switch to Roma permanent in the summer of 2020, with Liverpool's hypothetical unbeaten run still going strong.
12. Gareth Bale Has Missed 76 Club Games Through Injury
In May 2016, Bale was still in the good books at Real Madrid and was about to embark on Wales' glorious run to the semi finals of Euro 2016.
He's since had a hip, ankle, calf, adductor, thigh and knee problem, won two Champions League titles, been frozen out by Zinedine Zidane and returned to Tottenham.
13. Sunderland Have Dropped from the Premier League into League One
Sunderland were flying high in the Premier League in May 2016, sitting pretty in 17th place and watching rivals Newcastle plummet into the Championship. Younes Kaboul, Sebastian Larsson, Jack Rodwell - this was a golden age for football in the north east.
But the following season they were relegated, and then they were relegated again as the golden age for football swiftly became the golden age for Netflix.