There was a whole host of Liverpool talk around their forwards this summer. Mo Salah put any speculation to bed about his future by signing a new contract, Sadio Mane left for Bayern Munich and £67m was spent on Darwin Nunez. But nobody talked about Roberto Firmino.
He was for many, the forgotten man. Cast aside to make room for new blood and given he has been at the club since 2015, old news. Out of the five forwards Jurgen Klopp had at his disposal, including Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, Firmino was fifth choice. After two more goals at Ibrox in a 7-1 win, there is absolutely no doubt that he is near the top of the list.
He’s scored six in the Premier League, more than any other Liverpool player, and has now got off the mark in a key Champions League away match, when his side needed him the most. It was typical of his Liverpool career, that even on a night where he produced such magic, he didn’t get all the headlines.
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Instead, Mo Salah came off the bench to score a hat-trick in just six minutes and 12 seconds. The Egyptian hasn’t hit the heights expected of him this season and was left on the bench for this one. With Liverpool 3-1 up after two goals and one spectacular Firmino assist, he came on to take the game away from the hosts without breaking sweat.
Three finishes made to look so simple in quick succession and the Salah that has been so incredible in recent years had returned. It was the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history and a much-needed confidence booster for the forward and the team as a whole.
It seems strange to say after a 7-1 win, but at the start of the match, Liverpool were still trying to get to grips with this 4-4-2 formation. This time Fabinho and Jordan Henderson were flanked by two hard-working wingers in Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott, yet still they were caught out defensively. For the opener, Scott Arfield peeled into the space behind the central midfield two, and then pierced through the backline with a driving run.
Incredible!
@AnythingLFC_ | @BenWebbLFC | #RANLIV
Even though Joe Gomez was quick to react, he still couldn’t get there in time as Arfield found the bottom corner to send Ibrox wild. But Liverpool bounced back. In this atmosphere, to produce what they did showed a huge amount of character. There was even time, after the Firmino masterclass and an unlikely Salah hat-trick, for Elliott to score his first Champions League goal.
It was exactly the sort of night Liverpool and Klopp needed. A night to take some of the pressure off and focus on doing what they do best again. Scoring goals. Salah is back in business and Nunez got on the scoresheet, but the man who doesn’t get half the credit he deserves, is back in the spotlight once again. Roberto Firmino.
The man who has served Liverpool so well has been a rare bright spark in a difficult season so far for the Reds, but he continues to shine. The real test now will be how Klopp can transfer this into the Premier League. After last week’s win over the Ibrox side, they were found wanting against Arsenal at the Emirates. This time, after a huge win, they face Manchester City at Anfield. Clearly, Rangers aren’t at the level of the likes of Arsenal and Man City, so finding a way to take the confidence built from this win whilst acknowledging that stark fact is a top priority.
But this was a great night for Liverpool. Firmino and Salah are making their European nights far happier than their Premier League ones.
