Mathew Ryan could not have been any further from the action when Manchester City served up the most dramatic moment of the Premier League era.
Not only was he on the other side of the world when they beat QPR with two injury-time goals on May 13, 2012. He was also fast asleep.
Martin Tyler would have needed to shout “Agueerrooooo” a lot louder to make the young goalkeeper aware of what was going on at the Etihad.
Watch it? Drink it in? Ryan was more concerned about getting his beauty sleep before catching up on Premier League events on Monday morning.
Seven years on, City go for last-day glory again and this time Ryan is in the eye of the storm – with mates asking him to do them a favour and keep City at bay.
No wonder he has one word for that turn of events – “surreal”.
Ryan will be in goal for an Albion side who can deny City the title if they prevent them from winning a 14th league game in succession.
The eyes of the world will be on the Amex and the Aussie goalkeeper relishes the prospect.
He told The Argus: “The most surreal thing is having friends and family who are Liverpool supporters and having the opportunity to have such a big influence on history.
“I can’t help but think back to Man City a few years back when they played QPR and they almost caused the biggest upset.
“I keep imagining and hoping in that situation, it it comes up again, to make that big last-ditch save to affect the result.
“If you can do that, in similar circumstances, that would be a memory I would cherish for the rest of my life.”
Liverpool face a tough fixture of their own as they host a Wolves side who have secured seventh place and love taking on the teams above them.
Two Premier League trophies will be on hand – the real one at the Amex and a replica at Anfield.
Ryan can help ensure the podium and trophy brought south will not be needed, as was the case for Albion two years ago.
He would love to spoil the party in the way Bristol City did back then in the Championship.
The keeper said: “A couple of mates I grew up with have been messaging me.
“The more I think about it, the more I’m remembering the messages I’ve got!
“That’s probably the most surreal thing about it.
“Now I’m playing at this level it feels natural, the more experience you get.
“But the fact there is so much at stake and a title on the line, it just feels so big.
“I remember the hype around that City and QPR game those years ago and how the whole world was invested in it.
“It’s nice to be part of that.
“If we can disturb the party, it would be nice.”
Albion go into the game buoyed by a first away point against a top-six side since coming into the Premier League. They have scored two and conceded ten away to the top six this season compared to a goal difference of 1-14 last term.
At home, they have four points against the top six this season compared to seven in 2017-18.
But their goal difference has improved against the big guns at the Amex from 5-13 to, as it currently stands, 6-8 and two of those goals conceded this season were on the way to beating Manchester United.
Ryan said: “One of the biggest signs of our improvement has been being in the game against big teams.
“I think it was really only Chelsea away who have dominated the game, so to speak.
“Apart from that we have made a contest of all of them and been right in it.
“I think we can take positives from that.”
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