Liverpool players preparing for ‘chaos’ as fixture reality looms

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Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates with his team-mates after scoring during the Premier League match against Arsenal at Anfield on August 31 2025(Image: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)

For wildly contrasting reasons, this has been a summer unlike any other for Liverpool.

"It’s only three games in, everyone has to fight for each other, stay fit, and stay in shape - then start the chaos."

If chaos was an apt word to describe Liverpool's first two Premier League games of the season - a 4-2 rollercoaster win against Bournemouth followed by a dramatic 3-2 triumph at Newcastle United - it most certainly didn't apply to Sunday's tense, often tedious encounter against Arsenal at Anfield that ultimately went the way of the home side.



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Regardless, those fixtures were hardly conducive to a new-look Liverpool easing their way into the start of the campaign and the defence of the championship won in convincing fashion last term.

It didn't help that the Reds defence, having conceded twice in the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, continued to prove worryingly leaky until the weekend when they secured only their third clean sheet in their last 16 competitive matches, a run that stretches back to the Champions League 1-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain in early March.

Despite being the only Premier League team to win their opening three games, the scrutiny on Arne Slot's side is part and parcel of being champions.

It was good."

The win was secured by a blistering 30-yard free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai, who for the second game in succession was Liverpool's best performer despite featuring in an unaccustomed right-back role.

It was his 16th goal in 98 appearances for the Reds and Szoboszlai's first from a dead-ball situation, having assumed seniority following the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid in June.

"It was a fantastic free-kick," says Van Dijk.

"We know he can strike a ball pretty well but we haven’t seen it too many times in a Liverpool shirt yet, but it was the decider and I’m very happy for him.

"I was giving them the option to play it back post, but he was very adamant that he was going to shoot

"I said to him ‘be confident and go for it’ and I’m glad he did because it was outstanding, it was a peach of a free-kick.

"Playing right-back is not his preferred position, but he’s been showing it the past two games that he can play there perfectly."

Sunday was the first time Arsenal had lost to one of the Premier League's so-called 'big six' in the competition in 23 games, and was Liverpool's first top-flight victory over the Gunners since 2022.

Transfer deadline day is almost upon us and Liverpool still have business to do.

It's already been a busy summer for the Premier League champions but they could still pull off a couple of blockbuster signings as the window comes to a close.

Alexander Isak's future remains unresolved, with the striker refusing to play or train for Newcastle United.

Liverpool remain interested in a deal for the Swede.

Meanwhile, Marc Guehi has been a player of interest all summer and Liverpool could still launch a last-minute deal for the Crystal Palace defender.

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And it maintained a sense of deja vu to the start of the season.