Liverpool began the international break with a victory over Aston Villa.Dominik Szoboszlai opened his account after only three minutes with a sweeping first-time shot on the boundary of the area.
Midway through the first half, Matty Cash turned the ball into his own net while attempting to stop Darwin Nunez’s effort.
Mohamed Salah scored his third goal of the game early in the second half after Nunez flicked on an Andy Robertson corner.
Anfield’s primary talking points were as follows:
Gerrard’s spirit is summoned by Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai was bound to be compared to Steven Gerrard.
Liverpool’s summer signing not only chose the renowned former captain’s no.8 shirt, but also got his words tattooed on his body.
Those analogies are sure to get stronger after Szoboszlai scored his first goal for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the third minute on Sunday.
A sweeping first-time finish on the outskirts of the area might well have come from Gerrard’s showreel as Anfield’s hero.
Szoboszlai’s eagerness to dig in against Aston Villa evoked flashbacks of the ‘Huyton Hammer’ more than the goal.
Sliding interceptions, chasing down possession, and even taking corners were just a few of the characteristics he brought to the table.
Szoboslai may not have become Liverpool’s everyman in the same way that Gerrard did, but he certainly embodied the spirit of the Anfield icon on this occasion.
Salah’s price is still too high
Should I sell or not? That is the question that is now bothering Mohamed Salah.
Throughout the summer, Liverpool’s all-time Premier League leading scorer has been the target of an unrequited courtship from the Saudi Pro League.
Al Ittihad presented a preliminary offer worth £150 million only hours before the European summer transfer window closed earlier this weekend.
Although Anfield authorities flatly refused the approach, that figure loomed huge on Salah’s first outing since interest in him finally materialized.
The Egyptian responded emphatically by adding a touch of luster to this triumph, becoming the first player this season to score in three consecutive home games.
More importantly, Salah has now scored or assisted in each of his past ten Premier League outings since last season.
After a sprinting run and cross to the far post that required a considerably better finish from Darwin Nunez, he should have had a merited assist.
The cruel irony of Salah’s sustained excellence is that it will only encourage his Saudi suitors to test the waters further, with a £200 million follow-up already being discussed.
Time will tell whether that proves too much to bear, but if The Kop’s opinion counts for anything, the answer is still a loud no.
Reds 2.0 already appears to be the real deal
After a summer of overdue though perhaps unexpected midfield upheaval, Klopp promised fans a’reloaded’ version of his team this season.
Those extensive alterations in the engine room have been the focal point of why Liverpool 2.0 has taken flight four games into the new season.
However, it is more than new players that have altered a team that fell short of its fundamental Champions League qualification target at the end of last season.
Their manager’s response to some unanticipated early-season challenges underlined the steps taken over the summer.
With Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate out due to suspension and injury, Klopp was forced to rely on Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in defense.
The pair have fallen out of favor in the Anfield backline at various points but have performed admirably against Villa’s onslaught.
Even when Leon Bailey threatened to lay siege to Alisson’s goal in the first half, Gomez remained unflappable in repelling the visitors’ danger.
Curtis Jones, too, showed why he deserved an extended run of games during the previous campaign’s run-in with another strong performance in midfield.
It may not be enough to declare Liverpool title challengers quite yet, as it has in previous years, but the early signs are good.
