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Trent Alexander-Arnold scored an early free kick and Liverpool never looked back, restoring some confidence on an uneventful night at Anfield

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Tue 4 Oct 2022 17.39 EDTFirst published on Tue 4 Oct 2022 13.30 EDT
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold whips the ball over the Rangers wall and into the top corner.
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold whips the ball over the Rangers wall and into the top corner. Photograph: Dave Howarth/CameraSport/Getty Images
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold whips the ball over the Rangers wall and into the top corner. Photograph: Dave Howarth/CameraSport/Getty Images

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A phlegmatic Gio van Bronckhorst talks to BT Sport. “It is always frustrating when you lose. It was a hard game. They started as we expected, a lot of attacks. Waves of fast football. We did reasonably well. It’s always harsh to get a free kick and a first goal out of a set piece, but after that we stayed in the game. The second half we did much better. Especially in the end, after the penalty, we had some chances to score 2-1 and might have got more out of the game, but the players did really well to show their character and keep going. It was very positive, but the result was not positive. It’s a level we haven’t competed in for many years, so these games will improve us as a team. If you see our first three games, our development has been positive, although the result wasn’t. We will take the experience we have now into the league. We have to keep going and that starts again on Saturday against St Mirren.”

Jurgen Klopp speaks to BT. “"It was absolutely what we needed. A solid performance, top defending, everyone committing. And in a new formation! Sometimes you have to change things. We had plenty of chances but 2-0 I am more than happy. Two set piece goals, as well. You can celebrate them without waiting for VAR! That’s good as well. A really good game, very important. We had great moments. We were unlucky in moments offensively. Rock solid defensively. We go there, it will be a different game. We need consistency, and for consistency you need top-class defending. That’s what we had tonight.”

Jordan Henderson chats to BT. “We played some really good stuff. The first half especially we were really good with our intensity levels. Overall we’ve got to be really happy with our performance. You have to give Trent the licence to get forward at times, but I thought he was really good defensively, he did the basics really well, and I didn’t have to cover too much! It can be difficult if you’re going through a difficult period as a player or a team. You have to try to switch off social media and the noise around. You have to stay focused. But it can be difficult. It’s not easy. It can hurt. But you have to find a way to use that as fuel, to prove people wrong. That’s what I’ve learned the older I’ve got. Some individuals need an arm around their shoulder, some need a kick up the backside at times, but it’s trying to find the balance. When we’re on the pitch, it’s not personal, we’re trying to shout and dictate things to help the team. But you’ve got to have conversations as well to help. Overall we’ve got to be really pleased, it’s a step in the right direction.”

That’s a great result for Liverpool. Not the perfect performance, but it’ll nevertheless restore some confidence, and most importantly keeps their Group A campaign on track after its cold start. Napoli’s eye-opening 6-1 thumping of Ajax in Amsterdam – the hosts had their captain Dušan Tadić sent off for two yellow cards as well – helps too. Rangers are still looking for their first point, and their first goal, though those late brief cameos by Fashion Sakala, Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Čolak will give them hope for the return at Ibrox next week.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Napoli 3 11 9
2 Liverpool 3 0 6
3 Ajax 3 -2 3
4 Rangers 3 -9 0

Trent Alexander-Arnold speaks to BT Sport. “The performance was great. On Saturday it was disappointing, our press wasn’t there. We were slow out of the blocks. It was the complete opposite today. They had their spells in the second half, but overall we played outstandingly. No matter what, I always try to think positively. People say things, but for me it’s about going out there and performing for the team. it’s the only thing that matters. It’s been a slow start to the season for me but I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. The change of tactics definitely helped us today so we’ll see what happens going forward. We’re used to playing three games a week, so when things come thick and fast, it’s exciting for us.”

FULL TIME: Liverpool 2-0 Rangers

Liverpool still aren’t firing on all cylinders, but that’s back-to-back wins in Group A, and a rare clean sheet – only their third of the season – to boot.

Job done for Liverpool at Anfield. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images
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90 min +3: Alexander-Arnold is booked for … well, not sure what. He’s then replaced by Joe Gomez, allowing the Kop to give him a spirit-boosting ovation. Clever Jurgen.

90 min +2: Salah breaks down the right but sends a weak curler towards the bottom left. McGregor smothers.

88 min: “Sometimes playing football you play with someone who is technically and physically adept, but in terms of instincts, doesn’t quite know what to do, where to be or who to pass to,” writes Neil Hattersley. “It’s early days yet with Núñez, but I’m starting to form a bit of the same impression. This might contrast with Sadio Mané, whose unorthodoxy was sometimes one of his key strengths.”

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86 min: … and from the resulting corner, the ball falls at Colak’s feet on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box! Colak shoots for the bottom right, only to be denied by Alisson’s star jump. Fine save. No luck for Rangers tonight, then, but those chances will give them succour ahead of the return fixture at Ibrox next week.

85 min: Rangers finally do something in attack! And so nearly score! Matondo dribbles down the left, tiptoes along the byline, and forces the ball past Alisson. Sakala prepares to tap in, only for Tsimikas to sensationally hook clear off the line and out for a corner. That looked physically impossible, and it would have been much easier to bundle that into his own net. But what a clearance!

84 min: A Liverpool corner on the left. Matip meets it and sends a powerful downward header inches wide of the bottom right. Most of Anfield thought that was in, and briefly celebrated accordingly.

83 min: It’s an absolute rout in Amsterdam now. Goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Giovanni Simeone have made it 6-1 to Napoli against Ajax. A first European Cup for Napoli coming up? Everyone’s second team this year, I tells ya.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scores for Napoli as the Italians run riot in Amsterdam. Photograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
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81 min: Another double change for Rangers. Ryan Kent and Ben Davies are replaced by Rabbi Matondo and Glen Kamara.

80 min: No goal for Nunez, who goes off to a warm reception nonetheless. To be fair, he found Allan McGregor in top form. Thiago makes way too. Harvey Elliott and James Milner come on.

78 min: Tsimikas is sent into a bit of space down the left by Diaz, but his cross is easily cleared by Davies.

76 min: All a bit scrappy. “Just wondering when the Liverpool fans are going to sing their version of ‘The Fields of Athenry’ to make their visitors feel at home?” wonders Niall O’Keefe, with perfect timing. They’ve just struck up their paean to King Kenny now.

Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
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74 min: Salah releases Nunez down the inside-right channel. Nunez draws McGregor and cuts back for Diaz, who can’t slide home under pressure from Goldson. Then the flag goes up for offside, correctly this time, undeniably so.

72 min: Alexander-Arnold, quarterbacking from a deep position on the right, curls a sensational pass into the road of Diaz, free on the left. But Diaz miscontrols and the flag goes up for offside anyway. Had Diaz gone on to score, VAR might have overruled that decision, but it’s all academic now.

71 min: Kent dribbles into his own box and suddenly realises he’s in a spot of bother, surrounded by red shirts. He slyly clatters into Firmino and gets the benefit of the doubt from the referee.

69 min: Now Liverpool make a double change. Diogo Jota is replaced by Roberto Firmino, while the captain Jordan Henderson makes way for Fabinho. Henderson doesn’t look particularly happy at being hooked. He gives his armband to Van Dijk and shakes his head as he departs.

68 min: Morelos slips Barisic into space down the left. Barisic reaches the byline but floats his cross and it’s an easy pick for Alisson. Liverpool go up the other end through Diaz, who cuts in from the left and sends a low shot wide right. He should get a corner, the ball taking a slight deflection off Jack, but it’ll be a goal kick to Rangers.

Borna Barisic in action for Rangers. Photograph: Paul Greenwood/Shutterstock
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67 min: Sakala gets involved immediately, dribbling in from the right before dragging a poor shot miles wide right of goal.

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