Liverpool FC's Top 10 Moments of 2016

Under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp, 2016 has proved a hugely successful year for Liverpool, and after their New Year’s Eve clash with Manchester City, they will be able to look back fondly on their achievements.

Though the Reds suffered defeat in both the Europa League and Capital One Cup finals, that Klopp was able to steer them to the brink of silverware for the first time since 2012 is a marker of swift and tangible progress.

Furthermore, that City head to Anfield as Liverpool’s title rivals underlines how much further Klopp’s side have come in 2016/17, with both collective and individual performances improving by the month.

There have been a number of standout moments for Liverpool in 2016—but what makes the top 10?

Here are Bleacher Report’s 10 best moments for the Reds over the past 12 months, kicking off with a landmark performance from one of the players of the year, Roberto Firmino.

10. Roberto Firmino the Striker Emerges Against Arsenal

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Firmino signed in a deal worth £29 million in the summer of 2015, but on making the move from 1899 Hoffenheim, the Brazilian struggled to impose himself under Klopp’s predecessor, Brendan Rodgers.

But liberated by the appointment of another Bundesliga alumni, Firmino surged into life in 2016—and one performance, at home to Arsenal in January, gave a telling insight into his long-term role.

With Liverpool welcoming the Gunners to Anfield, Firmino replaced Christian Benteke as Klopp's No. 9 and rewarded his manager with a sensational display, capped by a remarkable long-range strike past Petr Cech—his second goal of the night in a 3-3 draw.

Including the match against Arsenal, Firmino went on to score seven goals in his next eight Premier League games, assisting another four, with his role as Liverpool’s first-choice centre-forward seemingly cemented.

9. Philippe Coutinho Embarrasses David De Gea

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Philippe Coutinho has stepped up to another level every passing season since his move to Liverpool in 2013, and 2015/16 was no different, with the No. 10 playing a pivotal role in the Reds' push for the Europa League.

One key example of his growing influence came with the decisive goal in March's 3-1 aggregate victory over Manchester United in the tournament's round of 16.

Heading to Old Trafford having already secured a 2-0 win in the first leg, Liverpool still needed to produce a strong performance in order to advance to the quarter-finals—and this was made even more difficult when Anthony Martial netted from the spot to cut the Reds' lead.

But picking the ball up on the left flank, driving past Guillermo Varela and lifting it over David De Gea at the Spaniard's near post, Coutinho put the result beyond doubt, notching a world-class goal.

Beating one of the world's best goalkeepers, at the home of one of Liverpool's fiercest rivals, Coutinho marked himself as truly ready for the big stage.

8. Adam Lallana Wins It at the Death at Norwich

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Since the days of Luis Suarez, Liverpool's trips to East Anglia have invariably heralded a goal glut, but the manner of their victory away to Norwich City in January was a departure from the profound dominance enjoyed previously.

This was a result that served to define the Reds' form in Klopp's first season: phenomenal in attack and decidedly shaky in defence.

Having clawed back to a 3-3 scoreline through Firmino's second goal on the hour mark, Liverpool then saw James Milner's potential winner cancelled out by Sebastien Bassong deep into stoppage time.

But characteristic of his and Liverpool's fighting spirit, Adam Lallana was on hand to bundle a volley home with 95 minutes on the clock, with celebrations on the touchline at Carrow Road proving the unity within Klopp's squad.

7. Kolo Toure's First and Only Liverpool Goal

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Kolo Toure's three seasons with Liverpool saw him lauded as a cult hero on Merseyside, with his infectious positivity and enduring quality on the pitch making him a hugely dependable and popular character.

This was no different in his final campaign under Klopp, where he made 26 appearances in all competitions and barely put a foot wrong—including an excellent performance in May's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.

One thing eluded Toure for much of his spell at Anfield, however, and that was his first goal in a Liverpool shirt. But, fortunately, this came on Valentine's Day, during the Reds' 6-0 win away to Aston Villa.

Milner, Daniel Sturridge, Emre Can, Divock Origi and Nathaniel Clyne had already given Klopp's side an unassailable lead, but when Jordan Henderson's corner was diverted past Mark Bunn off Toure's back in the 71st minute, the travelling Kop were sent into raptures.

It was a career rarity for the Ivorian, who scored 14 goals in 324 games for Arsenal and three in 102 for City, and this made the moment all the more special for both players and supporters.

6. New-Look Anfield Unveiled Against Leicester

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Liverpool kicked off the 2016/17 campaign with four away games—Arsenal, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, and Burton Albion in the EFL Cup—due to redevelopment work on their home stadium, Anfield.

The new-look Anfield was unveiled to supporters on September 10, when the Reds welcomed champions Leicester City to Merseyside for their fourth outing in the Premier League this season.

With facilities presented in impeccable condition, and an expanded Main Stand bringing the stadium's capacity up to 54,074, Liverpool were given the perfect backdrop to put Claudio Ranieri's Foxes to the sword.

They did so in style, securing a 4-1 victory through goals from Firmino (two), Lallana and summer signing Sadio Mane, with the whole of Anfield in fine voice throughout.

5. Emre Can Returns to Dominate Villarreal

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"I didn't have one day off," Can recalled of his preparation for May's Europa League semi-final second leg at home to Villarreal, speaking to Liverpool's official website. "Every day I spent seven to eight hours at Melwood to get fit for this game, and I'm so happy that I could play in it."

That Can was available to take on the Yellow Submarine was remarkable, with the German previously believed to be out for a lengthy spell with a troubling ankle injury—but his return proved pivotal.

With Liverpool having suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, they needed to go full throttle at Anfield, and with Can serving as a one-man shield to the defence, they were able to do just that, securing a 3-0 triumph and a place in the final in Basel.

Can made four successful tackles, four interceptions, won three aerial duels and pushed his side forward with three successful dribbles in a showcase of all-round brilliance from the prodigious German.

It was one of the individual performances of the season, and coming off the back of a serious injury, this was a moment to cherish.

4. Ben Woodburn's Record-Breaking Goal

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Ben Woodburn's rise from the Liverpool under-16s to the first team has been a remarkable one, and one not predicted by many on Merseyside, with youngsters such as Cameron Brannagan and Sheyi Ojo preferred last season.

But following his impactful pre-season with the senior squad, Woodburn has now played in both the Premier League and the EFL Cup, with his cameo performance against Leeds United in the latter proving particularly groundbreaking.

Brought on to replace Kevin Stewart with 23 minutes left to play at Anfield, Woodburn made history as he confidently struck his first Liverpool goal to seal a 2-0 victory.

Woodburn became the youngest player to score for Liverpool, at 17 years and 45 days old, surpassing Michael Owen, whose record goal against Wimbledon, at the age of 17 years and 143 days, stood for almost two decades.

The Wales youth international is set for a bright future under Klopp, and his celebration in front of the Kop showed just what it meant.

3. Sadio Mane's Late Merseyside Derby Winner

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Mane has made a major impact on Liverpool since his £30 million move from Southampton in the summer, and he currently stands as the Reds' leading goalscorer and assist-maker in 2016/17, having scored eight and assisted seven.

While his solo strike away to Arsenal in August certainly stands out as one of the best, the most significant so far came away to Everton in the Merseyside derby in December—less than two weeks before the end of 2016.

With the Toffees' defence holding strong for much of the night, it took a timely intervention from Sturridge to secure the victory, with the No. 15 dancing past challenges on the edge of the penalty area before powering a shot against Joel Robles' post.

Mane was on hand to turn home the rebound, earning a 1-0 victory and sparking incredible celebrations in the away end.

2. Jurgen Klopp Signs New 6-Year Deal

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Liverpool's success in 2016 would likely not have been as august without Klopp, and as such, Fenway Sports Group's decision to tie down the German and his assistants, Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, to improved, six-year deals in July was a necessary one.

"When you have an individual of Jurgen's quality in the building it makes perfect sense to secure that person for the long term," FSG attested in a joint-statement shortly after. "To not do so would be irresponsible."

Klopp is clearly at Liverpool for the long term and looks to be restoring the Reds to their former glory, but this served as a statement of the club's intent.

Keeping Klopp on a lengthy deal was better than any summer signing, as the coming years should prove.

1. Dejan Lovren's Header Downs Dortmund

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The most outstanding performance of 2016 for Liverpool was, undoubtedly, their Europa League quarter-final comeback against Borussia Dortmund in April.

Having taken a 1-1 draw away from the Westfalenstadion in the first leg, the Reds still had a lot to do against Klopp's former side, and this was exacerbated by early goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Marco Reus' excellent second-half strike cancelled out a 48th-minute goal from Origi, and Liverpool looked consigned to a miserable defeat.

But after Coutinho and Mamadou Sakho had restored numerical parity—Dortmund still led on away goals—Sturridge and Milner combined in a last-minute push up the right flank.

Milner's cross found the towering Dejan Lovren, who powered a header past Roman Weidenfeller to secure victory in one of the most memorable results in European history, alongside Liverpool's 2005 Champions League final fightback against AC Milan in Istanbul.

It was the best moment of 2016 for Liverpool, but they will be hoping 2017 brings even more.

Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents. Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.co.uk and WhoScored.com. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow Jack on Twitter—@jacklusby—and Facebook here.