Liverpool find a way... again
As the old saying goes, great teams always find a way. No matter the situation. Liverpool certainly did that on Wednesday evening as they fought from a goal down to somehow take all three points against a resilient Newcastle United side.
Having fallen behind to club-record signing Alexander-Isak's first goal for the Magpies, just hours after receiving his work permit from the Home Office, goals from Roberto Firmino and Fabio Carvalho saw Jurgen Klopp ’s side take all three points, deep into additional time.
It was a night where the Reds played at a level nowhere close to the immaculate standards they have set themselves in recent years, as they struggled to break down Eddie Howe’s side and were seemingly engulfed in fatigue as the fourth official signalled five additional minutes at Anfield.
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But with the euphoria still flowing in L4 as match-going supporters made their way home after witnessing such unbelievable scenes, a win in this manner, with this crowd, surrounded by the raucous soundtrack of Anfield felt like the perfect remedy for Klopp's men to finally get their season going.
Having seemingly dusted off the cobwebs with a record-equalling 9-0 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, this latest triumph undoubtedly bring a different type of satisfaction to the Liverpool manager as his players stood tall in a frantic hour of need.
Of course, all victories yield the same amount of points but Klopp and his staff will know this has the potential to catapult the Reds’ season into the ascendency just days ahead of their trip to Goodison Park.
Harvey dazzles again
As Andre Marriner's full-time whistle echoed around Anfield and cued a deafening response from the crowd, Harvey Elliott and match-winner Carvalho lined arm-in-arm as they turned to the supporters in disbelief at the scenes that had unfolded just seconds earlier.
The sight of Elliott and Carvalho, who had laboured for this moment of delirium since their time at Fulham's youth academy as adolescent scholars, will no doubt be broadcast around the globe in the coming days as the Reds' latest sensations took great pride in repaying Klopp's trust.
Elliott was a thorn in the Magpies' midfield all night long as Sean Longstaff, Joelinton and Joe Willock tried and failed to kick the 19-year-old off the Anfield turf.
As Liverpool huffed and puffed midway through the first-half, Elliott eloquently brought down the ball from Alisson's pass and shimmied past the sea of black and white shirts. It was a sign of things to come from Liverpool’s novice star, who has arguably been the club's brightest spark from an up-and-down opening five games of the new Premier League season.
Eager to make up for lost time after his early-season promise of last campaign was brutally destroyed at Elland Road last September, the midfielder seems to have added an extra element of maturity and composure to his performances in recent weeks as he's been flung into the senior side for a prolonged period after an injury crisis in the Liverpool engine room
Now, though, his latest showing will have no doubt reassured the feelings of supporters who have relentlessly cried out for midfield additions in the recent days and months.
Don't be mistaken, Liverpool have a generational talent on their hands.
The icing on the birthday cake
Even at just 20 years of age, Carvalho will do well to enjoy a better birthday week than the one he just had. Having scored at the Kop End on Saturday afternoon with a crisp first-time strike, the Portugal Under-21 international, like Elliott, sent out a pretty damning message to the naysayers insisting Klopp doesn't have enough quality within his ranks going into the final hours of the summer transfer window.
Just like at Old Trafford last week, the former Fulham scholar showed tremendous positivity in possession as he looked to drive his team-mates up the pitch in a desperate attempt to carve out an opportunity.
A half chance was eventually all it took as Carvalho rattled the top of the crossbar before sending Anfield into raptures. And judging by his manager's complimentary assessment after the full-time whistle, and Jordan Henderson's hamstring injury, the youngster's dream week could be about to increase ten-fold as he hopes for a start at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime.
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