With Liverpool at the halfway stage of their Premier League season, we’ve asked This Is Anfield’s writers to select their best moment of the campaign so far.
It has been an excellent start to the season for Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp‘s side in third in the league and also excelling in the Champions League and League Cup.
And despite a 1-0 loss to Leicester to round off 2021, there are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful.
There have been some standout moments since August – here’s what TIA’s writers have picked as their best in 2021/22 to date.
Henry Jackson – Origi’s winner at Wolves
For me, it has to be Divock Origi‘s stoppage-time winner at Wolves.
It was one of those painful occasions when you felt the ball just wasn’t going in for Liverpool and all hope felt lost.
Then Divock did what Divock does, proving typically cool in a huge moment and burying the ball past Jose Sa, adding another chapter to his iconic story.
The let-off on the pitch, on the touchline and in the away end will be remembered for years to come and it felt significant in the title race.
If Liverpool do go on to win the league next May, that could well be the moment of the season.
Joanna Durkan – Salah’s Old Trafford hat-trick goal
For me, it has to be Mo Salah scoring his hat-trick goal at Old Trafford. It was just blissfully amazing, from Jordan Henderson’s assist to Salah’s finish and spin to the travelling Kop.
It wasn’t one, two, three or four-nil. It was five-nil.
It was one of those games where you couldn’t stop gleefully laughing and revelling in the demise of the old enemy.
‘Twas a good day, a very good day!
Karl Matchett – Firmino’s third away to Watford
I’m going for injury time in the 5-0 win over Watford and Roberto Firmino tapping in a hat-trick.
That game was potentially a slip-up one for a lesser side: after the international break, against a new manager and his first game in charge, the first of four in a row away from Anfield.
And we simply wiped the floor with them.
It was stunning attacking football, Salah scored one of the greatest individual goals of this or any season – but Firmino is so often undervalued that I was just delighted to see him get himself the reward of a treble.
For a No. 9 who is criticised for not enough goals and goalscoring positions by those who only value highlights, seeing him notch all three from inside the six-yard box was a particular standout.
Well in, Bobby.
James Nalton – Phillips and Morton shine in Milan
There are many to choose from in what has been an impressive run of games, but one of the best moments was Nat Phillips and Tyler Morton shining at the San Siro.
Milan were missing key players, too, but this was a team then at the top of Serie A featuring a midfield of ‘the next Pirlo’ Sandro Tonali and the highly rated Franck Kessie.
Maybe Tonali looks a bit like Pirlo, with his hair and that, but the standout midfielder in the game was a guy from Wallasey – the 19-year-old Morton.
And just when everyone thought Phillips’ cult-hero story would end last season when he helped the club to Champions League qualification, he winds up doing this to Ibrahimovic and Kessie in the competition itself:
Looking back for some highlights of the season so far, and this from Nat Phillips (the Bolton Baresi) at the San Siro is up there pic.twitter.com/C6h2NOdRAt
— James Nalton (@JDNalton) December 24, 2021
Jack Lusby – That League Cup win over Leicester
The year may have ended in disappointment at the King Power, but the clash with Leicester days before that brought the best Anfield atmosphere of the season so far.
It was a tough sell, between more important league ties, and starting spots for youngsters Morton, Billy Koumetio and Conor Bradley, along with Neco Williams on the wing, only underlined that further.
And the odds were stacked against Liverpool as they went in at the break 3-1 down.
While it may not be Klopp’s Istanbul, the turnaround after half-time was mesmeric, with the Kop drowning out those ‘feed the Scousers’ chants and the Reds rewarding them with a memorable fightback.
Taki scoring at the death, Kelleher saving two in the shootout and Jota telling the Leicester fans to f*** off after hitting the decisive spot-kick.
A night to savour.
Fan Comments