Roberto Firmino opened his account for the new season as Liverpool started 2021/22 with a 3-0 win over Norwich, with the No. 9’s goal seeing him net the 8,000th league goal in club history.
It was tough-going for the Brazilian last season, with endless football taking its toll as the showman was left without his crowd due to the pandemic.
But shades of the Firmino of old started to appear at the backend of 2020/21 and throughout pre-season and he provided another glimpse at what could be around the corner at Norwich.
Arriving as a substitute at the hour-mark, the No. 9 got straight into the action and just five minutes after his introduction he would net the Reds’ second of the evening.
It proved key in securing a 3-0 opening day win, but Firmino’s strike was the club’s 8,000th league goal, with the first scored back in 1892.
It may just be one milestone along the way for Liverpool and Firmino, but it remains a notable one as the Reds became only the second club to hit that total, after Man United.
And that Firmino is up and running for the season is a welcome early boost as he looks to put the disappointment of last season behind him, where it took him six league games to find the net.
With goals for Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Firmino on the opening day and Sadio Mane looking similarly revitalised, Liverpool’s forward options pose as a formidable threat once more.
Jurgen Klopp noted his front four “looked really sharp” at Norwich and that it is only the start for them and the rest of the team as they work their way toward full match fitness and sharpness.
“We had to find our way in the game and scored three really nice goals because we forced them. It’s a good start,” Klopp told Sky Sports post-match.
“The boys are fit but you have to get used to the feeling again, that it’s really exhausting but you can [still] go. You have to get over that point in the game, and we did, and hopefully next week we’ll be fresher for longer.
“Mohamed Salah has trained well, the forwards have looked really sharp, but as soon as it starts getting competitive again, he goes to the next gear, and he showed that again today.”
Firmino plays a crucial role in Klopp’s system and getting him back to his best spells trouble for the opposition as Liverpool look to return to the Premier League summit and stay there.
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