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Liverpool Stole “Fergie Time” — Now It’s “Arne Time”

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Liverpool Stole “Fergie Time” — Now It’s “Arne Time”
There used to be a time when Manchester United fans stayed glued to the screen until the very last second, waiting for those famous late winners that turned despair into euphoria. That era is gone. These days, instead of expecting a dramatic goal, the faithful are just counting the minutes until their team inevitably concedes, before switching off the TV and catching up on a Boruto marathon.

Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring a stoppage-time penalty for Liverpool against Burnley under Arne Slot.


Now, it’s not United supporters who linger in hope for a last-gasp winner, but Liverpool’s. Ironically, their fiercest rivals are the ones serving flashbacks of Sir Alex Ferguson’s golden years. What we once called “Fergie Time” has now been reborn with a twist. Should we call it “Arne Time”? Or maybe “Slot Time”?

Matchweek four of the Premier League had its share of flavor, spiced up by new arrivals making noise. Nick Woltemade, for instance, didn’t wait long to announce himself, scoring on his Newcastle debut. And then, of course, there was the Manchester Derby—its outcome pushing United fans to fantasize about flying Ruben Amorim in as the headliner for French Cultural Week.

But the spotlight, again, landed on Liverpool’s clash with Burnley. Supporters were itching to see Alexander Isak’s first steps under Arne Slot, yet the coach left him out, judging the striker not quite ready.

On paper it looked simple, but Scott Parker’s Burnley made the Reds sweat. The breakthrough didn’t come until the fifth minute of stoppage time, sealed from the spot by none other than Mohamed Salah.

 And this isn’t some one-off. No, “late goals” have practically become Liverpool’s business card this season. Forget “sometimes”—it’s “always.” Four matches, four wins, and each settled deep in the dying minutes.

It started against Bournemouth in week one. Locked at 2-2 heading into the 85th, Federico Chiesa popped up in the 88th to restore the lead, before Salah finished the job at 90+4.

Week two at Newcastle brought even more drama. Liverpool were cruising 2-0, only for Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula to smash the script. Osula’s equalizer seemed to have killed the dream—until, at 90+10, teenager Rio Ngumoha etched his name into Liverpool folklore with the winning strike.

Next came Arsenal, the self-proclaimed kings of set-pieces. Yet it was Dominik Szoboszlai who stole the show, curling home a free-kick in the 83rd, turning the Gunners’ favorite weapon into poetic irony.

And then Burnley—Salah from the spot at 90+5, making it four out of four. That goal didn’t just win the game; it set history. Arne Slot’s Liverpool became the first side ever to bag decisive goals in the final 10 minutes across four straight Premier League matches.

That goal wasn’t just another late winner—it also carried a bigger stamp of authority. With it, Liverpool stretched their remarkable streak of scoring in 38 consecutive matches. A clear reflection of how relentless, sharp, and downright vicious the defending champions have been under Arne Slot. But the milestone didn’t just belong to Liverpool; it belonged to the scorer too.

Mohamed Salah’s penalty against Martin Dubravka was his 188th Premier League goal. That strike pushed him past United legend Andy Cole, slotting the Egyptian into fourth place on the league’s all-time scoring chart.

Back to the pattern of those late winners—why has it suddenly become Liverpool’s trademark to strike at the death? Is it luck, or is there something more deliberate behind it?

Turns out, it’s very much by design. Arne Slot himself once admitted—back in January, long before the season wrapped up—that he wanted his team to grow stronger as games went on. His vision was clear: Liverpool should finish better than they start. Not every game would deliver a dramatic last-minute goal, but Slot openly wished for decisive strikes in the final moments.

And you can see that blueprint unfolding week after week. If you tune into a Liverpool game—or just skim through the English pundits’ takes—you’ll notice a theme: they look relatively tame in the first half. Predictable, even. But after the break? They flip the switch. The second-half Reds are like a whole new machine, cranking up intensity until opponents collapse.

Players who looked quiet early suddenly come alive. Against Burnley, for instance, Florian Wirtz was almost anonymous in the first half but then lit up the pitch after the restart. Slot clearly understands the Premier League’s demands—where intensity is king and defenses are stubborn.

That’s why he doesn’t mind holding back early. Score too soon, and defensive teams change their shape. Parked buses turn into open highways. Newcastle proved that point. Liverpool went 2-0 up, and Eddie Howe’s side had no choice but to throw the handbrake away. They clawed back with ruthless efficiency, bagging two goals from just three shots on target, nearly stealing the script.

The same problem showed up in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace. Slot knows his squad still struggles with negative transitions—shifting from attack to defense when they lose the ball. Against teams that suddenly open up after conceding, Liverpool can be dangerously exposed.

But here’s the kicker: this “late-goal identity” didn’t appear out of thin air. It’s a continuation of a habit seeded in Jurgen Klopp’s final season. Back then, Liverpool often started flat but ramped up the aggression after halftime.

The numbers back it up. In the 2023/24 campaign, Liverpool’s performance graph sloped upwards across 90 minutes, with the sharpest spike in the closing stages. The Premier League’s official stats underline it: in the final 15 minutes alone, the Reds scored 19 times while conceding only five. No wonder they now look like a team that thrives in chaos, devouring opponents just when legs are heaviest and minds are cloudiest.

Arne Slot didn’t exactly rip up the playbook when he arrived—he just carried on the “slow burn” tradition. Last season, Liverpool looked like decaf coffee in the first half. But the moment the second 45 kicked in, suddenly the Reds turned into an energy drink commercial. Attacks flying in from everywhere, the tempo cranked up, and players who were anonymous before halftime suddenly acting like they’d just remembered they’re paid to play football.

Take Mo Salah, for instance. The Egyptian King finished last season with 29 league goals. Impressive, right? But here’s the kicker: only six of those came before halftime. Translation? First-half Salah is like your phone on low battery mode—just conserving energy—then second-half Salah is plugged in and overclocked.

But the real embodiment of this whole “wait for the fireworks” strategy? Diogo Jota. He’s been the guy since Klopp’s days and continues under Slot. Call him the late-night delivery service: calm under pressure, ruthless in the box, and always arriving right when you need him most. Jota’s got that cold-blooded finishing mixed with predator instincts—you blink, and he’s already scored.

And here’s the problem: Liverpool don’t really have another Jota. That fox-in-the-box presence, that clutch gene—it’s rare. Which leaves a simple question for Slot: what happens when the go-to guy isn’t around to bail you out?

Of course, living off last-minute winners isn’t all sunshine and Salah smiles. For Liverpool, gambling on “Arne Time” every week is like playing poker with half the deck missing—it works until you meet someone who actually knows how to play defense *and* counterattack. Against teams like that, the risk meter goes red.

New signings like Florian Wirtz haven’t exactly clicked with the squad yet—more “first awkward date” than “married couple.” Cody Gakpo and Salah are still glued to their wings like they’ve signed an exclusive flank-only contract, leaving Wirtz stranded in the middle with nobody picking up his calls. And Hugo Ekitike? He looks like a guy trying to break into a nightclub with the wrong dress code every time he faces a low block.

That’s why all eyes are on Alexander Isak. This is a striker who knows how to dismantle Premier League defenses like he’s got the cheat codes. If anyone can break the lock when the bus is parked, it’s him.

Still, you can’t deny it: “Arne Time” has its own charm. For neutrals, it’s entertainment; for Liverpool fans, it’s heart attack therapy. Imagine the story if the Reds end the season as champions, most of their points snatched in the 90+ minutes. It’d be chaotic, nerve-wracking, and absolutely legendary—basically the Premier League’s version of a Netflix thriller.

sources: BBC, ESPN, PremierLeague, talkSPORT, TheAthletic, PremierLeague, LFCHistory

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