An early title decider?

When you play a title rival so early in the season stakes can feel high from the offset. This is your chance to get ahead, to stake your claim as the team to beat, is most likely the thought process of a football manager, I don’t know I’m not one. But this felt a big occasion, as it always does against the Gunners, especially as we are both looking towards that Premier League title and with signings like Gyökeres, Eze, Zubimendi and co, we knew how tough this was going to be. But this is Anfield, bring it on Mikel.

It’s fair to say the game was a cagey affair with both sides pretty much cancelling each other out with brilliant defensive displays. Not really the game for neutrals. Although the positive was, we looked much better as a defensive unit compared to the first two games of the season, limiting Arsenal to very little with a brilliant display from Kerkez against Madueke and Konate and Van Dijk keeping Gyökeres very quiet. Though unfortunately the breakthrough just didn’t look like it was going to come. But as with Liverpool this season so far, when we look down and out someone appears from the abyss to produce a moment of pure magic, and it happened again.

Substitute Curtis Jones received the ball in the middle of the park and turned quickly to force Zubimendi to give away the fowl. Ironically the person I was watching the game with happened to suggest that have a crack from that far out might really be the only option, with the free kick being so central. I couldn’t see the point of anything else so agreed, you never know what could happen. So, Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up.

The Hungarian had played extremely well so far this season, filling in for in the injured Frimpong and Bradley at right back and keeping Martinelli very quiet throughout the first 80 minutes – who would’ve thought he would be the best defensive right back we have had in years! Anyway, he placed the ball down and took a few steps back and let’s be honest no one was expecting what happened next. But, as soon as he hit the ball it felt special, it felt right. It dipped right over the wall, curling through the air, every millisecond it was aligning more and more with the top right corner of David Raya’s net. And sure enough, that exactly what it found. Incredible. The Kop erupts with elation shock, no one quite believing what they had just seen from the 24-year-old as he runs towards the corner flag and snaps his fingers, just like Thanos – inevitable.

From there it was 15 minutes full of tension and nerves as the Gunners opened up more, went on the front foot. But the Reds defence held strong, anchored by the imperious skipper, who seems to be aging like the finest of wines – thanks for the extra two years Richard Hughes!

As the final whistle blew all eyes were on Dom, the hero of the day as Mikel Arteta’s set piece loving side were beaten at their own game – losing via a set piece. There has been a lot of criticism of the Spaniards approach to big games like this, with legends of the game like Peter Schmicheal accusing the London side of being too cautious and a hard watch and to be fair I see where he is coming from. At times it did feel like playing prime Stoke on steroids! But the Reds weathered that set piece storm and won the day and the most magical fashion and in tight games like that securing the three points really is all that matters.

The only negative was the withdrawal of Ibrahima Konate, although Slot says that I could be potentially cramp, the same with Florian Wirtz, who has his best game in the red of Liverpool so far. The Frenchman’s replacement was the experience of our longest serving player in this squad, Joe Gomez, who really impressed in his time against the Swedish striker of Arsenal, limiting chances the very few. Next step is getting that goal, what a celebration that will be.
The win puts the Reds right where they belong at the top of the Premier League table, the only team to win their opening three matches before the international break this season. Hopefully we have a full returning squad fit ready for an away trip to Turf Moor in gameweek four.

Deadline day madness!

It’s fair to say that the 2025 summer transfer window might have been one of the best in our great clubs history, but the last 24-hours, between Sunday night the early hours of Monday morning were complete chaos, but chaos in a good way. Arne’s squad had already changed dramatically over the summer, but he wasn’t stopping there and with two incomings and one outgoing still on the cards, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes were going to have a busy 24-hours

Sunday night was special. We had just beaten title rivals Arsenal after a wonder goal from Dominik Szoboszlai and it’s fair to say all of us were super excited about the season ahead. But the news just kept coming. After the longest of transfer sagas, the moment finally arrived where Alexander Isak was announced the be joining the Reds, after a £130 million agreement was made between Newcastle and Liverpool.

There were times during this window where it really didn’t look like that the Swedish striker would make his dream move to Merseyside, but with 24-hours of the window to go, the Geordies finally caved, after signing Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart for close to £65 million. Anyone who was following the saga will know how toxic the relationship got between the clubs and the player and the fans, so when the book was finally closed on the Isak story, it felt like a massive weight off our shoulders.

But we weren’t done there. The outgoing I referred to was that of Harvey Elliot, making a loan move with an obligation to buy, to Aston Villa. The Birmingham side will pay £35 million for his services, with the Reds putting in a buy-back clause and sell-on clause for the future. Smart business if you ask me, although seeing Harvey go did hurt, knowing how much he cares about the club. Maybe we will see him back in a Liverpool shirt again someday?

The other potential incoming on deadline day was Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi. Now I’m just preparing you, this doesn’t have a happy ending. At around 3:30pm on deadline day the Reds had agreed a £35 million deal for the English international, with Palace wanting to sell due to the potential of losing Guehi on a free next year, or that’s what we thought. After celebrating (too early) another great edition to Slot’s squad the news came through the Igor (Guehi’s replacement) would not be joining Palace but instead their London rival West Ham. This was a right problem for us as Glasner would only sanction of move for Guehi if he had a replacement, which he no did not.

This is where the deal quickly fell apart. Guehi had already completed his medical with LFC staff situated in London, but Palace pulled the plug on the deal with Glasner reportingly threatening to walk if his skipper was sold. So, we didn’t get our man, so close yet so far and an unhappy Marc Guehi was forced to return his LFC tracksuit and trudge back to Selhurst Park – poor lad. It was a disappointing end to what was the perfect transfer window, but oh well, we can have him on a free next year! Don’t forget who wanted you Marc, when Real Madrid come calling for another free transfer.

That’s it, the end of crazy couple of weeks and months for the Reds. The transfer window is shut, and we go into the winter months of the season ready to battle it out against England and Europe’s best. We definitely have the team to go all the way in anything we set our mind to, so bring it on.

About The Liverpool Lines

The Liverpool Lines is a weekly summary and deep dive into all the news from England’s most successful club. From transfer speculation to match result reaction, everything will be covered to keep you completely up to date on all thing LFC for the whole of the season.

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