The feeling of euphoria that comes with a late winner is addictive, as Liverpool have found out, but it is not a sustainable plan. Virgil van Dijk was the fifth player to settle a match in dramatic fashion in as many games for the Premier League champions this season but his 92nd-minute goal against Atlético Madrid was only the fourth-latest in the team’s series of extraordinary climaxes.
Jan Oblak was left helpless in the Atlético goal after his teammates had staged a glorious fightback from 2-0 down and shown a dogged determination to hold on. It had a familiar ring: Rio Ngumoha downed Newcastle in the 100th minute and Mohamed Salah slammed home a penalty in the 97th to break Burnley hearts, having scored in the 94th minute against Bournemouth to seal that 4-2 victory. The more crushing blow for Bournemouth had been delivered by Federico Chiesa in the 88th minute. A relatively early winner at home to Arsenal came in the 83rd minute. It indicates Liverpool are battle-hardened, fit and mentally strong. It is, however, not viable over what could be a 60-match season.
What Liverpool have achieved in the opening weeks will make opponents fearful. It is exhausting trying to keep out an elite team. Burnley fought for a full match, and more, desperately trying secure a point, but it was not enough; Atlético conceded twice in the opening six minutes and came back to stand on the verge of a point but departed with nothing. Opponents will wonder whether they have the fortitude to cope, keenly aware of the consequences of a slip in concentration.
“It was a little bit unnecessary,” Van Dijk said of leaving it late again. “We don’t want to come into a situation where we have to chase. You have to try to go for the win and I think we had the opportunities to kill the game and do better. But it is still progress, we are still learning and I am pretty confident we are going to get there.”
Maybe there was an element of luck at Turf Moor but quality and mentality have made the difference in the key moments while the referee checks their watch. Superb moves, expertly finished, saw off Bournemouth and Newcastle, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s expertise from set pieces downed Arsenal and Atlético, the former a stunning free-kick and the latter a precise corner on to the head of Van Dijk.
Maintaining calm in what others might regard as moments of crisis is a skill. Panic never sets in for Liverpool. There is no thought of going direct or doing things differently. Admittedly, they are yet to chase a game from being behind, but Arne Slot wants his team to play methodically and not adjust.
Even the head coach realises things cannot go on like this, though. The Atlético game was third time this season, after Bournemouth and Newcastle, that Liverpool have allowed a two-goal lead to slip. Lapses have allowed opponents to get back into matches they appeared to be out of. Liverpool looked vulnerable down their left before Marcos Llorente pulled one back, were then saved by Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, and helped by Julián Álvarez’s absence leaving Atlético short of a clinical finisher.
Wider points on Wednesday indicated it may not always be necessary for Liverpool to go to the wire. Salah had easily his best game of the season, scoring a fantastic goal and constantly threatening when cutting in from the left, which the world is used to witnessing. Florian Wirtz has struggled in the Premier League to get a grip of a game as he adapts to the rigours of English football but looked comfortable in Europe, creating plenty of chances and showing levels of confidence that will help him evolve.
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Alexander Isak made his Liverpool debut but was not fit enough to last more than an hour. He looked tired much earlier and it would not have been a surprise had he been withdrawn at half-time. The Swede had one reasonable chance and offered glimpses of the link-up he could enjoy with Wirtz. Once Isak is fully prepared and possesses the £125m sharpness Liverpool have paid for, Slot will be hoping to possess a clinical No 9 who can settle fixtures before the dying embers.
From 20 Liverpool shots against Atlético, only six were on target; against Burnley it was four in 27 and against Arsenal three in nine. It is an indication Liverpool are doing a lot right but are yet to find cutting edge. Hugo Ekitike showed in his first two outings how dangerous he is but his levels have dropped, while Salah’s and Wirtz’s are rising. If they peak at the same time and become a harmonious unit, others should be afraid. And if not, opponents know they are never safe, even when Liverpool are not excelling.
It is not sustainable but it is fun. An injury-time Liverpool winner in Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield would test decibel records. The noise created by these moments is something to behold – nothing beats it for a supporter. But, for health reasons, the odd 3-0 win might not go amiss, and there are signs these may not be far away.
