Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
September 18, 2025 - 3:03 AM
They might start calling it “Slot Time.”
Arne Slot's Liverpool, the defending Premier League champion, is making an uncanny habit of scoring late winning goals to start this season.
And it is evoking memories of the great Manchester United teams under Alex Ferguson doing the same on so many occasions deep into stoppage time — or “Fergie Time” as many labeled it.
In all five of its matches so far, Liverpool has netted a winner in the 83rd minute or later.
On Sunday, Mohamed Salah converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to beat Burnley 1-0 for Liverpool's fourth straight victory to open the Premier League. Then on Wednesday Virgil van Dijk headed home at a corner in the second minute of added time to seal a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Everton, then, has been warned ahead of the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime that kicks off the fifth round.
There's a history of late Liverpool goals in this fixture, too. Infamous is Divock Origi's bizarre 96th-minute winner for the Reds in December 2018 after a mistake from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Everton arrives at Anfield in decent form, having won two and drawn one of its opening four games and seen Jack Grealish rediscover some of his old spark early in his loan spell from Manchester City.
Liverpool is the only team on a maximum 12 points.
Key matchups
Arsenal is the closest chaser to Liverpool and faces another tough early season game, this time at home to Man City. The only points Arsenal has dropped so far were in a 1-0 loss at Liverpool — secured by, fittingly, a late free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai — while City is coming off a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the derby last weekend.
City will have two fewer days to prepare for the match, given its Champions League fixture against Napoli on Thursday whereas Arsenal played Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.
Chelsea also has a short turnaround after playing Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday because it heads to Manchester United on Saturday.
Tottenham and Bournemouth — both on nine points like Arsenal — play Brighton and Newcastle, respectively.
Players to watch
Slot has to decide whether to hand Alexander Isak a first Premier League start. The Sweden striker, a record signing from Newcastle late in the summer transfer window, didn't feature at all against Burnley but started against Atletico and played 58 minutes.
Man City striker Erling Haaland has five goals in his first four league games heading to Arsenal, renowned as having the strongest defense in England.
Will Cole Palmer stay in Chelsea's team for the trip to Old Trafford? The England playmaker made a goal-scoring appearance off the bench in the 2-2 draw at Brentford on Saturday after injury, before starting the 3-1 loss to Bayern.
Out of action
There's set to be key absentees in the Arsenal-Man City match, with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard having hurt his shoulder last weekend and joining an injury list containing fellow attacking players Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
City has recently been without playmaker Rayan Cherki, forward Omar Marmoush and defenders Rayan Ait-Nouri and John Stones.
Man United is another team with some early season injuries, with the absences of Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount impacting the attacking options of under-fire manager Ruben Amorim.
Off the field
Amorim's position at Manchester United might have become even more precarious after the derby loss to City so there's renewed pressure on him going into the Chelsea game.
Amorim said he wouldn't be changing his playing style or tactical setup that sees United adopt a 3-4-2-1 formation which can often leave the central-midfield two overrun. That's an area where Chelsea is particularly strong, in the form of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Palmer, so Amorim will have to come up with a solution.
Another manager under pressure is Graham Potter, whose West Ham team lost to Tottenham 3-0 and has conceded more goals — 11 — than any other team. The Hammers host Crystal Palace on Saturday.
It's not been an ideal start for Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest, either, Since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in charge, Postecoglou has overseen a 3-0 loss at Arsenal in the league and a 3-2 loss at second-tier Swansea in the English League Cup. Forest heads to Burnley on Saturday.
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