Liverpool conclude their pre-season preparations with the game against Darmstadt on Monday night and then it’s all eyes on Chelsea, for the opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Here’s a trip down memory lane with five of Liverpool’s best Premier League opening day performances in the Premier League.
1994/95: CRYSTAL PALACE 1-6 LIVERPOOL
The season when Liverpool finished 4th in the Premier League and won the League Cup for a record fifth time. Liverpool’s 6-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, saw four different goalscorers fire six past Palaces’ Nigel Martyn.
Jan Mølby kicked off Liverpool’s scoring with a penalty in the 12th minute, closely followed by a stunning Steve McManaman strike after a slalom through the defence. Right on the brink of halftime, a mistake at the back by Crystal Palace’s centre-back pairing, gifted teenager Robbie Fowler an opportunity to make it 3-0 going into the break.
Four minutes into the restart and Crystal Palace decreased the deficit, via striker Chris Armstrong, but Liverpool soon responded with a header from captain Ian Rush, lofted into the box by a looping cross from Stig Inge Bjørnebye.
Liverpool returned with, while Rush also got a brace the scoring the sixth with a header from a corner.
Fast forward to the Jurgen Klopp era, and it was Philippe Coutinho who ran the show, while Sadio Mane had a debut to remember.
Theo Walcott opened the scoring with a strike, only a minute after the Arsenal man had his penalty kick saved by Simon Mignolet. That was followed by a stunning Coutinho free-kick on the stroke of half time.
Only four minutes into the second half and Adam Lallana found himself inside Arsenal’s box, chested the ball down from a Gini Wijnaldum cross, and found the back of the net from a tricky angle.
Liverpool doubled their lead in the 56th minute to make it 1-3 with a second strike from Coutinho. A cracker of a debut goal from new recruit Mane made the Reds look comfortable but they were made to sweat as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (a season before he moved to Anfield) and Calum Chambers pulled goals back.
The year Liverpool really went to a different level. The Reds started as they meant to go on in August 2018.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring after finishing a stunning team move, involving Trent Alexander-Arnold, Naby Keita and Andy Robertson, while Mane netted twice, either side of half time.
Late on in the second half, Daniel Sturridge – with his first touch of the game – headed past Lukasz Fabianksi from a James Milner corner to turn it into a proper rout.
The season Liverpool won the Premier League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFAÂ Club World Cup. From the season opener, you could already tell it was going to be a special year.
Newly promoted Norwich couldn’t cope with Liverpool’s attacking verve at Anfield, with centre-back Grant Hanley turning the ball into his own net to open the scoring.
Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Divock Origi all got on the scoresheet to essentially kill off the contest before the break, while Teemu Pukki was able to find the back of the net for a second-half consolation.
A pulsating game that sadly no fans got to see in the stadium due to Covid restrictions.
The defending Premier League champions broke the deadlock through a Salah penalty just four minutes into the game and were two up after Van Dijk headed home from a corner.
However, Leeds fought back to 2-2 with goals from Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford, but another Salah strike ensure the Reds went ahead at the half-time whistle.
Mateusz Klich levelled the scoring again in the second half and Leeds thought they had secured a valuable point away at Anfield, but a late penalty, courtesy of a clumsy Rodrigo challenge on Fabinho, allowed Salah to complete his hat-trick and seal a thrilling opening day victory.
