Just a quick update on Liverpool today despite having lots to say - life gets in the way of aspirational writer!
Firstly, the game vs Tottenham, a controlled and dominant display which was made slightly nervy by conceding late on, but ultimately with no impact on the result. Firmino’s sickening accidental eye poking is my lasting image, scarred on my brain.
There is a growing appreciation outside of Anfield of the Van Dijk-Gomez pairing at the back. Gomez couldn’t have a better mentor along side him, Van Dijk metaphorically and literally head and shoulders above almost every other centreback in Europe. With Trent on one side and Robertson on the other, Liverpool have an awesome defence that does the basics amazingly whilst being the platform for attacking down the sides. Robertson’s crosses are a work of art.
So that victory set Liverpool up for the mouthwatering clash against PSG. Another star team backed by oil money, £200m Neymar wasn’t in the game, Mbappé managed to link with him for a goal but that aside Liverpool overwhelmed them with a differently dominant display, not giving PSG any time to settle and nullifying their threat for most of the game.
Starting a tough group with a home win against the favourites to qualify has laid down a marker, and backs up the fears Napoli had drawing Liverpool from pot 3. Their own draw away at Red Star is a good result itself, and sets up an exciting few games ahead where quite literally anything might happen.
So, will it be a case of after the Lord Mayors show against Southampton for Liverpool’s first 3pm kick off of the season? On paper it should be a comfortable win. But this is where teams come unstuck after Europe, not quite recovering enough and having flat and uneventful games the following weekend, often losing points gets normally win.
Liverpool have a phenomenal home record over the last year, Southampton are not having the best of times and many aren’t happy with Mark Hughes at the helm. So I do expect Liverpool to stretch their winning record, but I won’t be wholly surprised if the missing fizz leaves us struggling to what should really be a comfortable home win.