Liverpool’s season has kicked off in a way fans could only dream of. Entering the campaign as defending Premier League champions, questions lingered about whether Arne Slot’s men still had the hunger to go again, or if the pressure of expectation might weigh them down.
Just four matches in, the answer is clear: Liverpool remain relentless. Four games, four wins, twelve points—the hallmark of a side determined to hold on to their crown.
Their 1-0 victory over Burnley may not have been filled with fireworks or dazzling goals, but it carried the stamp of champions. They dug deep, managed the game, and kept their perfect record alive.
Yet, behind that win lies a story of tactical choices, selection dilemmas, and internal battles that could shape the entire season. All eyes were on the team sheet when it dropped at Turf Moor, especially the backline.
Slot handed a start to Milos Kerkez, the young Hungarian left-back signed in the summer with high expectations to challenge Andy Robertson.
The plan was clear: Kerkez represented the future. But football rarely follows a neat script, and his afternoon proved it.
Kerkez began brightly, but a single lapse shifted the narrative. Midway through the first half, he picked up a yellow card—not for a fierce tackle or a desperate foul, but for diving.
A needless mistake that drew frowns from the bench and offered Burnley encouragement. It wasn’t pressure that forced it; it was poor judgment. And in the Premier League, errors like that rarely go unnoticed.
From the touchline, Slot had a call to make. Burnley’s counterattacks were beginning to test Liverpool’s backline, and with Kerkez already booked, every challenge risked disaster.
A red card in such a tight contest could have undone all Liverpool’s hard work. Slot didn’t hesitate.
Before halftime, Kerkez’s number was up. Off came the youngster; on came Andy Robertson—the trusted veteran, battle-hardened and dependable.
That substitution carried weight beyond the moment. For Robertson, it was a reminder that his chapter at Liverpool is far from closed, no matter how many young talents arrive.
For Kerkez, it was a lesson. Skill may earn you an opportunity, but trust is built over time—and one reckless decision can quickly knock you down the pecking order.
