Arne Slot, marking his forty-seventh birthday, could have felt aging rapidly as his squad subjected him to another nerve-shredding test once more.
Ultimately, however, the Merseyside club managed to deliver a birthday win for their manager—but not before another dose of late drama that has defined their campaign so far.
It’s often said that 2-0 is the most dangerous advantage in the game, and Liverpool are giving it new meaning this term. They have squandered such a lead on multiple occasions this season—against Bournemouth and Newcastle—repeating the pattern here against Atletico Madrid.
Each time, however, Liverpool have pulled back from the brink to claim all three points.
This highlights the sheer force of will in this Liverpool side, coupled with the electric atmosphere of their home ground on European nights, that there was somewhat destined about Virgil van Dijk’s towering header late in stoppage time.
The captain’s 93rd-minute winner was the latest strike the club have notched in the dying moments across all competitions, with six of their eight second-half goals coming from the closing stages onwards.
The manager was seen leaping for joy in his technical area once more, just as consistently reacted during Liverpool’s run of dramatic victories. Despite success, he may prefer that Liverpool would not leave supporters biting their nails before the final whistle.
The team, for all their firepower, cannot always execute these heroics. Their carelessness will worry the coach, even if they have shown repeatedly this year that they have the resolve to recover.
“A game like this should not have gone to a late winner,” the manager said.
“I understand that’s the narrative of this game, but in my view this was distinct from earlier performances. We had so many great attacks where we might have added a third goal.”
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All eyes were on British-record signing Alexander Isak as he earned his Liverpool bow after his transfer from Newcastle.
There were elegant moments, but inevitably he faded before coming off after an hour. The striker’s most recent club game was on 25 May, so it is understandable that Liverpool are easing him gradually—and the forward looking rusty.
While the new man is an emerging Liverpool star, among the old guard proved he is far from to step back now. The Egyptian winger shrugged off early-season lethargy to get back to his brilliant best.
He was a constant threat, even hitting the post after Marcos Llorente pulled one goal for the Spanish side.
Liverpool’s home has a particular place in the player’s heart after he also scored a brace when his team won 3-2 in a Champions League last-16 fixture in March 2020.
Following that result, he named the dog he presented to his mother ‘Anfield’, and showed once more why this is his favourite venue with an equaliser nine minutes from time.
The home side, true to recent form, refused to accept defeat.
This time it was the centre-back who grabbed the victory for Liverpool—allowing Slot’s birthday celebrations were accompanied by a win instead of a frustrating draw.
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The striker, naturally, was not quite from peak sharpness but displayed enough in his hour on pitch to provide a glimpse of the quality his future may hold.
Liverpool were actually 2-0 ahead before the debutant took his first touch after 10 minutes, and it prompted anxious groans around Anfield when he was seen hitting his hand on the turf in agony after a tackle from opposition defender Robin Le Normand.
He gradually worked his way into the match, but began to appear tired as the opening period came to a close. He emerged for the second half, but it was no surprise when he was withdrawn to a generous standing ovation before the hour.
The coach said: “In the hour he was on, he seemed in good shape to me. It wasn’t as if after a short time he was extremely very tired. He could perform at this level quite well after one or two weeks of training.”
“He can play football and he’s a pleasure to watch. That is expected. He was in better condition than I anticipated, but the supporters shouldn’t get their expectations too high. We play three times a week and that’s still too much for him still.”
“We have a pair of excellent number nines [Isak and Ekitike] and we’re going to utilize each of them throughout their career here.”
The Swede had two attempts that drew saves from opposition keeper Jan Oblak, but the most significant positive was his connection with fellow new signing, £116m midfielder Wirtz.
The pair dovetailed beautifully in the first half to set up a opportunity for Jeremie Frimpong, which he could not convert, then the striker’s instinctive backheel—with his back to goal and blind—was played straight into the Wirtz’s path, earning cheers of approval from the fans.
The duo combined nine times in the game, this early glimpse of their understanding suggesting they will be a formidable weapon in the team’s armoury.
Overall, it proved a subdued start for the new man—but enough to hint at what he can bring.
