Is it an excellent signal that Liverpool is getting the higher of its opponents with out being at its best possible?
How do you consider the facet’s early season late winners? Is it champion mentality, or just the Reds getting the rub of the inexperienced?
Whether or not it’s the 4 last-gasp wins within the Premier League earlier than the theatrical 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid of their UEFA Champions League opener, Arne Slot’s males certain do have a knack for bulging the online within the closing moments.
Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa celebrates after scoring the go forward aim in opposition to Bournemouth within the Premier League at Anfield in Liverpool, on August 15, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
AFP
Liverpool was just getting began with the Eleventh-hour drama when Federico Chiesa restored the facet’s lead within the 88th minute within the 4-2 win over AFC Bournemouth.
Ever since Chiesa mentioned it was “better late than never” for him to attain his first Premier League aim, it’s been at all times late but never too late for Liverpool.
Rio Ngumoha netted within the tenth minute of stoppage time for a 3-2 win at Newcastle United, earlier than Dominik Szoboszlai’s 83rd-minute free-kick helped Liverpool beat title-contender Arsenal 1-0 in a cagey affair at house. Interestingly, the Gunners are but to concede one other aim this season other than that stupendous 32-yard effort from Szoboszlai.
Then Mohamed Salah broke Burnley’s hearts by changing from the penalty spot within the fifth minute of added time as Liverpool escaped with a 1-0 win at Turf Moor.
With these outcomes, Liverpool grew to become the primary crew in Premier League historical past to win 4 straight video games with the profitable aim scored within the ultimate 10 minutes or later.
Coach Slot had an trustworthy tackle his crew’s home marketing campaign to date.
“For us to be on 12 points now is so much more than I expected, especially after the changes we made this summer,” he mentioned throughout the pre-match press convention for Liverpool’s continental conflict in opposition to Atletico.
Last but not least, skipper Virgil Van Dijk’s exact header within the 92nd minute condemned Diego Simeone’s males to a 3-2 loss in a roller-coaster of a contest on Wednesday.
“We need to get back to winning a bit simpler and easier,” Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson mentioned after the Champions League sport.
THE GIST
The Liverpool crew is coming off a busy summer season switch window and can want a while for all the new new signings to calm down
Whether or not it’s the 4 last-gasp wins within the Premier League earlier than the theatrical 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid of their UEFA Champions League opener, Slot’s males certain do have a knack for bulging the online within the closing moments
It’s virtually as if Liverpool has made legendary Dutch footballer Cruyff’s well-known quote its motto: “To win, you have to score one more goal than your opponent.”
While it’s nonetheless untimely to make use of ‘Fergie Time’ and ‘Slot Time’ in the identical vein for the artwork of discovering late winners, Liverpool will do effectively for itself if it will probably emulate what Ferguson & Co. pulled off of their prime
“The assistant manager turned to me when Virgil put it in and said he’s getting too old for it, so I can’t imagine what the fans are like. It’s a great thing to have, being able to keep going until the end, [but] when you’re 2-0 up and playing so well in the first half, it should’ve been a more comfortable night,” Robertson added.
And there have been conflicting opinions on what to anticipate from Liverpool after such a unstable begin to the season.
“I’m unsure about Liverpool. They should be mid-table. They’ve been gifted six points. You could take six points off Liverpool and no one would have argued,” soccer columnist Paul Merson wrote in a Sky Sports article revealed on September 16.
Ruthless but not medical could be a good evaluation of Liverpool’s marketing campaign; the facet, nonetheless, will surely be this from a glass-half-full perspective.
Need a while
As Slot alluded to in his press convention, this Liverpool crew is coming off a busy summer season switch window and can want a while for all the new new signings to calm down.
The undeniable fact that the Reds have an unblemished document regardless of the churning makes issues that a lot simpler throughout the transition interval. Points on the board certain do take a load off, even for the defending champion.
“They’re settling in this new wave of players like [Florian] Wirtz and [Hugo] Ekitike into the club, and the team is not at its absolute purring best. However, they’ve got something, and they are winning, and that’s really important,” former Manchester United defender and soccer commentator Gary Neville mentioned after Liverpool’s victory over Burnley.
“Obviously, you can’t keep on winning by playing below your best and performing like they did today, but they keep on getting over the line; they’ve demonstrated that in the first few weeks of the season, and they’ve carried it on after the international break,” Neville opined.
Liverpool’s run of thrilling triumphs had some soccer pundits examine the crew to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, and the way the famed outfit used to stroll away with a win with a last-minute aim or two.
While it’s nonetheless untimely to make use of ‘Fergie Time’ and ‘Slot Time’ in the identical vein for the artwork of discovering late winners, Liverpool will do effectively for itself if it will probably emulate what Ferguson & Co. pulled off of their prime.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, anyone who very effectively is aware of the sensation of coming in clutch when it issues essentially the most, lauded Liverpool’s tenacity.
“They keep going. They’ve got quality players, and they have the desire to win football matches. Liverpool stuck at it, and you have to keep going until the end. That’s what the top teams do,” Keane informed Sky Sports after the Burnley sport.
Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison mentioned Liverpool’s victories can’t be dismissed as pure luck. “Everyone keeps saying Liverpool leaves it late, but it can’t be lucky the number of times they’ve done it already this season. They’ve got big players and big characters,” Morrison informed Sky Sports’ Soccer Special after Liverpool’s victory over Atletico.
These constructive takes on Liverpool’s prospects may be coming from the truth that the Reds have been persistently discovering the online since Slot took over final season. In reality, the final time Liverpool failed to attain within the Premier League was on September 14, 2024, in opposition to Nottingham Forest, and the facet has been on a 38-game scoring streak within the league since then.
It’s virtually as if Liverpool has made legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff’s well-known quote its motto: “To win, you have to score one more goal than your opponent.”
Egyptian magician Salah
Egyptian magician Salah’s function in Liverpool’s ascendancy to the Premier League crown final season couldn’t be overstated. He rightly gained the Player-of-the-Season award for matching Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole’s document for essentially the most direct aim involvements in a league season (47).
The prolific winger, nonetheless, has been blowing cold and warm within the 2025-26 marketing campaign. His finest efficiency but got here in opposition to Atletico, the place he outmuscled and outmanoeuvred three defenders to present the host a two-goal lead within the sixth minute. Liverpool will hope this was an indication of Salah discovering his ft forward of one more wonderful season.
Matter of intrigue
Record signings Wirtz and Alexander Isak’s output was one other matter of intrigue, and each gamers are slowly coming into their very own after coping with their very own set of challenges.
While the German attacking midfielder took a while to get used to the rigours of Premier League soccer, the Swedish ahead’s troubles have been extra off the pitch than on it.
Just like Salah, Wirtz discovered his mojo in opposition to Atletico. According to Squawka, no Liverpool participant had extra touches within the opposition field (seven), created extra possibilities (5) or created extra huge possibilities (two) than Wirtz in that Champions League contest.
Liverpool will even be happy with Isak lastly getting some sport time after a tumultuous switch window that noticed him miss the essential pre-season coaching interval. Wirtz and Isak additionally produced some beautiful mixture performs on Wednesday, with the most effective one coming within the forty second minute via the No. 7’s run from midfield to seek out Isak for a harmful one-two in entrance of the Atletico aim.
For all of the aptitude and efficiency in its assault, Liverpool can also be vulnerable to conceding objectives. Missing out on signing Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi on deadline day has accentuated the facet’s lack of competitors within the centre-back place.
But for now, it’s the place there’s a will, there’s a late Liverpool winner!
