KOP ARE COMING FOUR CITY
IT’S BACK.. AND REDS OFF TO A FLYER
LIVERPOOL made a flying start to their Premier League campaign last night as they thrashed Norwich.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, runners-up to Manchester City last season, were four up by the break with Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Divock Origi on target but they lost goalkeeper Alisson to injury.
AN exquisite finish from one of your world-class strikers? Tick.
A thumping header from your Ballon d’Or-standard colossus? Tick.
A joyous romp to celebrate the start of another season under possibly the most charismatic manager in club football? Tick.
Allez Allez Allez as they like to sing in these parts.
This was expected. This was predictable. This was a formality.This was a given.
Yet still, even against a Norwich defence as porous as one of Delia’s sieves, this was a statement, this was a glorious declaration of intent. Indeed, there was no more glorious a declaration than Liverpool’s second goal.
They like to trademark most things around here nowadays – including that song, by the way – and maybe Mo Salah should patent that quick-footed, farpost finish. The bewildering close control, the left-footed conversion after only a suggestion of backlift.
It was brilliantly familiar, just like so much of what Liverpool produced last night.
There was Virgil van Dijk, whose magnificence in defence was twinned with menace up front, his thumping header putting Liverpool three up before it was dark.
There was Trent AlexanderArnold, assisting like he had never been on holiday.
There was Divock Origi, accepting Alexander-Arnold’s help to nod home the fourth, having seen an early cross diverted – with Championship clumsiness – into his own net by Grant Hanley for Liverpool’s opener.
And there was, for a brief time, Alisson, with a couple of reminders of the agility he brings to the goalkeeping position along with calmness.
That the Brazilian keeper had to be helped from the field late in the first half after appearing to sustain an injury when taking a quick kick was
the only dark spot on a luminous Liverpool night.
His replacement Adrian could not have envisaged running out in front of the Kop in early August when he became surplus to West Ham requirements.
Adrian’s team-mates were soon to go four to the good, so there was never any danger of him not starting his Liverpool career with a win.
But it was the buccaneering manner of the win that should have reminded watchers – as if they needed reminding – of what a formidable team Jurgen Klopp has nurtured here.
And amid the numbers put up by Manchester City in the past couple of seasons it is easy to forget just how much a fortress Anfield has become.
Unbeaten here in 2018-19, unbeaten here in 2017-18, the last reverse coming 28 months ago. You would not bet against them going another season without defeat here.
There will be far, far tougher assignments, sure. There were flashes of decent football from Norwich and they deserved the consolation of a neat Teemu Pukki finish.
But by then Liverpool should have converted their dominance into an Ashes score and the only disappointment for Klopp was probably the wastefulness that stopped a landslide.
But with Salah sharp, Van Dijk orchestrating matters like only he can and with the rest of the cast already up to speed, this was business as usual.
Allez Allez Allez as they sing in these parts.