Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has revealed he was unable to hear instructions from the sidelines during Sunday's 1-0 victory over Manchester City due to the roaring Anfield atmosphere.
Mohamed Salah's 76th-minute strike was the sole difference between the two heavyweights as Jurgen Klopp's side recorded just their third win of a stuttering Premier League campaign to date.
Tempers flared throughout the afternoon as Pep Guardiola and Klopp cut animated figures, with the City manager enraged at Phil Foden's goal being chalked off after a review on the Video Assistant Referee monitor alerted referee Anthony Taylor to a foul on Fabinho by Erling Haaland during the build-up.
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That prompted Guardiola, much like Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta during the Reds' 4-0 victory over the Gunners last November, to whip the Anfield crowd into a frenzy as he made his anger at Taylor's decision visible with a string of overexaggerated gestures.
Clearly not the most practical manner in which to guide your team through a visit to L4 unscathed, the Spaniard then motioned to the supporters in Anfield's Main Stand to, 'come on'. Which, ironically, caused the atmosphere inside the stadium to rise ten-fold and eventually reach its apex when Salah sealed the points after expertly turning Joao Cancelo on the halfway line before coolly slotting past Ederson. Klopp would later be sent-off with minutes for berating the assistant referee.
“You know Anfield is on its toes when you’re on the pitch and you’re struggling to hear instructions from the bench and even what your team-mates nearby are saying to you," said Henderson in his programme notes ahead of West Ham United's visit to Anfield on Wednesday evening. "Sunday was exactly like that and I know I can speak for all of the lads when I say it makes such a difference.
“The noise, the support, the fervour – they were all off the scale. I know it’s not possible because the very best atmospheres are almost always created by events and circumstances, but if it is anything even close to those levels tonight it will be a big help to anyone and everyone who pulls on a red.
“I also know that it is up to us, the players, to provide the spark. If we do our bit then history tells us that the Anfield crowd will do theirs. I don’t mind admitting, though, that this kind of atmosphere is unbelievably addictive. Once you have experienced it, you want it more and more, especially when you see the positive effect it can have on our team and our results.
“I know for a fact that I wouldn’t enjoy playing at Anfield as an opposition player when the atmosphere is like that. It must be so intimidating while at the same time giving us Liverpool players a massive lift. That’s why it has always been our not-so-secret weapon.
“When team and supporters are galvanising one another it is almost certain to bring out the very best in each other. That’s why it’s so addictive. You literally can’t get enough of it.”
David Moyes' side make the trip to Merseyside sitting 13th in the Premier League, following a mixed bag of results in the opening two months of the campaign. But the Liverpool skipper is calling on his team-mates to forget Sunday's heroics in a bid to avoid complacency.
Henderson added: “Obviously, a result like the one we’ve just had creates a lot of hysteria and interest outside of the club, but just as was the case when results were not going our way we have to remain focused, keep our feet on the ground and keep on striving to do the things that we know make us a tough opponent for anyone.
“So we won’t be dwelling on Sunday whatsoever. We will take the good elements from it and we will also work on the parts that are not so good, but other than that we have already moved on from it."
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