As the first international break of the season arrives and the transfer window comes to a dramatic close Liverpool find themselves top of the Premier League with nine points from nine, the only team to do so. A brilliant, yet stressful start to the season for us Reds and Arne Slot, with great results against Bournemouth, Newcastle and of course Arsenal. Each match had its fair share of excitement, with thankfully a happy ending in all three and before we look ahead to Burnley at Turf Moor in a fortnights time, let’s look back at the matches that got Liverpool to top of the league again.

An emotional opener against the Cherries
Middle of August always has a strange feeling in the air. The feeling of anticipation definitely leads the way, with the Premier League season right on the horizon. For Liverpool, this season opening had a great gloomy shadow covering all the hype, and that was of course the loss of our number 20, Diogo Jota. The situation made the opening match against Bournemouth on that Friday night even more special and even more important. The players weren’t just doing it for themselves, or even us fans, but the were doing it for a fallen brother, a theme that will be reinforced throughout the season, I’m sure.

In all the stress and despair that event had brought the club, us fans were hoping a nice simple win against the Cherries would open up our season, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? Well, it looked like that was the way things were going, with new signing Hugo Ekitike getting off the mark in the first, followed by a second from Cody Gakpo early in the second. The Reds looked cruising and with the Kop in full voice, continuously chanting “oh he wears the number 20” it looked like the start to the season we all wanted.

But then something changed. A double switch at full-back positions saw Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong replaced with Andy Roberston and Wataru Endo which immediately changed the game. 15 minutes later and the Reds were level again at 2-2. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, A well taken double from Antoine Semenyo had got the visitors not just back in it, but pushing for the winner.

All looked lost and the champions were seemingly heading towards dropped points on the opening day – certainly not what we were hoping for. But then one man popped up. Someone unexpected many would say, including ex-red Jamie Carragher who questioned why this man was brought on during live commentary of the game. That man was Federico Chiesa. The Italian has had a stop-start Reds career so far to say the least, after his arrival from Juventus last year. But this was his moment. A lovely strike from the outside of the box was sent flying past a stunned Petrovic in the Bournemouth net and the crowd went bonkers. It was a nice little knee slide from him as well actually!

The Egyptian king then arrived at the party to seal the deal for the Reds, scoring again on the opening day to make it 4-2. Phew. Crisis averted, just. The team looked dangerously open and not effective at controlling the game. But, as an emotional Mo walked off the Anfield pitch in tears, we all remembered, the football was background noise today. Today was about Diogo. Those last minute goals were for him.

World War 3
Before Liverpool’s trek up north to Newcastle Arne Slot described the away day at St James Park as “the hardest game we would have all season” and although it has only just started, he was probably right! When a club has a banner on the side of the pitch saying “get into them” you know your in for a long evening, we just didn’t know at the time that the next 90 minutes were going to be as if World War 3 was taking place, absolute carnage.

Now, it’s important the establish the backdrop to this toxic affair and the name that was on everyone’s lips going into the game, Alexander Isak. Newcastle’s main man, the apparent heir to Alan Shearer’s throne was at the centre of all news going into the match and the ironic thing was, he wasn’t even playing! After apparently being promised a move by Newcastle hierarchy earlier in the year, the Swedish international was still a Newcastle player though everybody knew he wanted out. And where did he want to go? Of course, Liverpool, which is why this already feisty game turned into a blood bath of bad tackles, simulation and controversy.

The game itself seemed to crawl by for me, with every second seeming a lifetime as Newcastle attacked and attacked during the first 30. However, it was the Reds who get their noses in front from a lovely taken strike from returning Ryan Gravenberch, who missed the Bournemouth game due to suspension. Things continued to go our way as the Geordies went down to ten, after a late challenge on the skipper Virg saw temporary striker Anthony Gordon sent back to the changing rooms. If you have a sign saying “get into them” that’s what you going to get, I guess?

Slot’s side came out into the second firing, with new signing Hugo Ekitike getting his second of the season straight after the break. It was so quick even Arne missed it as he ran up the tunnel to celebrate! We looked in cruise control now, just put the car in sports mode and sail off into the sunset, right? Wrong. Not Liverpool. Not this season, yet. More stress was on the way as Bruno Guimaraes got the host back into it with a header on the back post, climbing over the collapsing Milos Kerkez, with plenty of time left, 1-2.

Then the moment all Liverpool fans could feel coming happened. The roar of St James sucked the ball into the net for 2-2, Osula off the bench for the Geordies. Dan Burn won the flick on from a long ball freekick courtesy of Nick Pope, which fell to the feet of the substitute striker who rolled it passed the flying forward Alisson. What a sucker punch feeling. It felt like we had a blown it, another two goal lead evaporated into the Tyne air, just like Bournemouth. But the footballing gods had other plans…

To try and save the day again Slot turned to his bench. Looking for another miracle he called for Fede again and this time a new face, someone who had shined throughout pre-season, the extremely talented Rio Ngumoha. Surely, we couldn’t do it again, could we? In typical stressful Liverpool fashion, the answer was yes. Chiesa picked the ball up on the edge of the Newcastle box and a quick pass into the feet of Salah was immediately diverted across the box, over the feet on the dummying Szoboszlai and straight into the path of the 16-year-old. For a moment time stood still, until Rio, with a lovely first time effort with the right, bent the ball past a helpless Pope, slamming the Geordie net in the 100th minute. YES!

The first time since the sending off that Liverpool had really used the extra man to their advantage, and it paid off beautifully. What a moment! Massive credit must go to Szobo for the incredible dummy to allow the pass to find Rio. Salah get’s the assist, but anyone who appreciates the beautiful game will give so much praise to the awareness of the Hungarian, without him that goal doesn’t happen.
After a few stressful extra minutes added on the final whistle blew and it had felt as if I had gone 12 rounds with Prime Rocky. The relief and the exhaustion but also the excitement. We had gone to St James’s and won in the most incredible fashion. Six points on the board and a star born, not much more you could ask for on a cold night in Newcastle. Actually, correction. I would’ve liked a much less stressful game, but I guess you can’t ask for everything.
The war on the pitch was won by the team in red, but the war for Alexander Isak was still ongoing…

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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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