2014/2015 Season is Approaching Its Climaxes

Chelsea secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. The intensity of the match mirrored the fierce clash between Tottenham and Manchester City earlier that week.

A day prior, Liverpool earned a 2-1 victory over QPR, with Gerrard and Coutinho finding the net to secure three points.

On May 4, Arsenal joined the winning streak, defeating Hull City 3-1. With these results, the title race and the battle for the top four remained fiercely competitive.

For neutral fans, the drama was thrilling. However, for Chelsea, it brought pressure. Even The Special One struggled to sleep, preoccupied with their upcoming clash against Liverpool.

The tension extended to Chelsea's squad. Training sessions grew unusually quiet. Hazard, often laid-back in practice, was now more serious, working harder than usual.

Mourinho, however, saw this as a double-edged sword. He believed mental readiness was more critical than grueling training during such high-stakes moments.

On May 6, 2015, he canceled training for two days. Instead, he instructed his players to relax, enjoy themselves, and temporarily forget about the title race.

"Is this really necessary?" asked Steve Holland, one of Mourinho's three assistants, less accustomed to his methods than Rui Faria and Silvino Lauro.

"It is," replied Rui Faria in Mourinho's stead. "Our next opponents are Liverpool, West Brom, and Sunderland. We can beat them, but only with the right mentality."

"We can be stressed, but not the players," added Silvino Lauro, backing Mourinho's decision. Holland remained silent, knowing their loyalty to Mourinho was unwavering.

"What are you standing there for? Come here!" Mourinho barked. "We need to analyze Liverpool's last five matches and plan accordingly."

Chelsea's staff dove into preparations, determined to leave no stone unturned ahead of the Liverpool showdown.

Meanwhile, at Liverpool's training center in Kirkby, Jürgen Klopp was leading tactical drills, gearing his team up for their battle against Chelsea.

Klopp had joined Liverpool in early January after being sacked by Borussia Dortmund on November 1, 2014, following a seven-match winless streak in the Bundesliga.

This marked a departure from the original timeline, where Dortmund retained Klopp until the end of the season despite their poor performance in the 2014-15 campaign.

For Klopp, stopping Chelsea was pivotal. Securing a top-four finish had become a personal mission, driven by several critical factors.

First, Manchester United's inconsistency is a concern. Four winless games in the Premier League have jeopardized their top-four hopes. With Arsenal still on their schedule, the Red Devils risk dropping more points in the crucial run-in.

Second, Tottenham mirrors United's struggles. Klopp is confident that, even if Liverpool misses the top four, they'll still finish ahead of Spurs.

Third, Chelsea's desperation for points will force them to attack, rather than sit back defensively. Klopp relishes open games and believes no team, regardless of their approach, can intimidate his side.

Lastly, transfer funds add extra stakes. Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's frugal owners, have promised Klopp a larger summer budget if they secure Champions League qualification, knowing the competition's revenue would greatly benefit the club.

"Sterling! Run forward! Don't just wait for the ball!" Klopp barked during a 5-vs-5 training match on a small pitch, pushing his players to maintain intensity.

"Jurgen, have you finalized the lineup for Chelsea?" Pep Lijnders, his assistant, asked softly.

"Some players are locked in, but others depend on fitness," Klopp replied, balancing strategy and player condition.

Chelsea and Liverpool devoted the week to meticulous preparation for their May 10 showdown at Stamford Bridge, knowing the stakes were sky-high.

Meanwhile, other competitions delivered equally thrilling narratives.

In the Champions League semifinals, Barcelona dominated Bayern 3-0 at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi dazzled with two quick goals (77th and 80th minutes), and Neymar sealed the win with a stoppage-time strike.

Juventus displayed resilience in their match against Real Madrid. Despite dominating possession, Madrid struggled to create decisive chances.

Álvaro Morata gave Juventus an early lead in the 8th minute, which Cristiano Ronaldo equalized in the 27th. Carlos Tévez sealed the win with a penalty in the 58th minute.

Real Madrid remains optimistic about the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu. In contrast, Bayern faces an uphill battle to overturn their deficit at Allianz Arena.

In La Liga, Barcelona leads with 87 points, followed by Real Madrid at 85 and Atletico Madrid at 76. With three games left, the title race is on a knife edge.

Juventus has already wrapped up Serie A, securing their fourth consecutive league title with a commanding 15-point lead over Roma.

In Germany, Bayern Munich claimed their 24th Bundesliga title, adding to their legacy as German football's most decorated club.

Over in Ligue 1, PSG leads with 74 points, closely pursued by Lyon at 71. Despite the narrow gap, PSG remains the favorite to retain their title.

On May 10, matchday excitement reached its peak. Manchester City hosted QPR at the Etihad Stadium in an early kickoff, followed by Liverpool's clash with Chelsea.

This was undoubtedly important match for Manchester City. But no nervous at all in the players face. Just a confident look. This just showing that they know the pressure is on Chelsea, so they just need to win it, and put more pressure to the london blues.

City's starting XI remained unchanged from their win over Tottenham, except for Kolarov replacing Clichy at left-back:

Joe Hart; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Fernando; David Silva, Kenneth Lee, James Milner; Sergio Agüero.

QPR fielded a 3-4-3 lineup:

Robert Green; Clint Hill, Richard Dunne, Steven Caulker; Matt Phillips, Joey Barton, Karl Henry, Yun Suk-Young; Leroy Fer, Charlie Austin, Bobby Zamora.

QPR's squad featured several former City players.

In the starting eleven there is Richard Dunne, a City stalwart from 2000 to 2009, anchored their defense and Joey Barton, who played for City between 2002 and 2007, started in midfield.

Meanwhile, on the bench, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Nedum Onuoha, omitted from the squad, were also City alumni.

Seeing these Manchester City former players, Kenneth was tempted to tell Pablo Maffeo, Adarabioyo, and Angus Gunn to join QPR making them the second Manchester City.