Liverpool got thumped 4-0 by Manchester United in the first pre-season friendly of the summer.
Erik Ten Hag’s side did play a stronger team than the Reds did but still, it’s never great losing to them.
Yet, despite losing to United in grand fashion, Liverpool still have a lot to be excited about.
Luis Diaz, Fabio Carvalho, Harvey Elliott and Isaac Mbaya were the most exciting players to watch from the starting XI. Even if the latter gifted Jadon Sancho a goal with his poor clearance for the opener.
I am particularly excited to see how 19-year-old Carvalho is able to link up with Diaz.
They already seem to be on the same wavelength and they were able to engineer a few shooting opportunities together.
Liverpool have lost Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich but they are already showing signs of being a really exciting attacking unit.
Diaz also seems to be on the verge of taking a major step in his development. In many ways, he reminds me of Luis Suarez.
When he arrived at the club in 2011 on deadline day in January, he hit the ground running and showcased his incredible confidence and swagger.
The goals didn’t start flowing until later.
Diaz has already formed a strong connection with his teammates and if he starts scoring regularly, his stock is going to skyrocket after an impressive start to his Anfield career.
Mohamed Salah seems as though he is going to rip the Premier League up this season.
He started the 2021/22 season like a man possessed and there’s nothing stopping him from doing it again.
Fulham (A) presents Salah with a fantastic opportunity to show the world that he’s still the best after his new three-year extension.
A goal on the opening day of the new Premier League season will see Mohamed Salah make it six seasons in a row that he has scored in the first game of the season.
Darwin Nunez combined very well with Salah on the right flank in what was a sign of things to come.
The record-signing from Benfica only had two days’ worth of training in his tank before he took to the field against Manchester United.
Yet he was bright and threatening. It’s already clear that he’s going to terrorise teams by making runs into the channels.
I’ve said it before but I think I’m going to continue saying it for quite some time: Nunez is reminiscent of a young Fernando Torres.
It’s easy to forget he’s only 23.
Nunez did, however, miss a sitter against Manchester United.
๐ธ – Darwin Nunez with a big chance to pull one back but he blasts it over the goal. pic.twitter.com/JNFnEUVLRu
— ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ (@TheEuropeanLad) July 12, 2022
And unless I’m just clutching at straws, I think I have proof it wasn’t as bad as the desperate Manchester United fans are claiming.
The below video shows at around the 0:15 mark that the ball takes another bounce after he has already swung his leg.
This caused it to balloon over the bar.
It’s only pre-season so I’m not concerned about it.
After all, he scored 34 goals last season for Benfica and Liverpool almost never pay the kind of money they agreed to stump up for the Uruguayan.
I honestly just can’t wait to see more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt8QxaxpatI&ab_channel=colo99