A new captain took office, and the rules of the Red Army locker room were changing
Adidas' celebration at its headquarters in Bavaria may be as loud as the Liverpool fans visiting Manchester City.
When Trent Alexander-Arnold broke past Ederson to make it 1-1, he was basked in the cheers of the away fans at the far end of the Etihad Stadium, and his gesture to the home fans added to the moment.
He changed the tide of the game in one of the Premier League's most important games in the Adidas Predator, wearing the new Adidas Predator boots, less than 24 hours after the German company unveiled him as the latest superstar, which couldn't have been more perfect from their point of view. From Alexander-Arnold's point of view, the timing of this goal was impeccable.
Alexander-Arnold signed a multi-million pound deal with Adidas as Adidas' newest ambassador, and just nine months after the opening of Adidas *** in Liverpool city centre, Arnold ended his partnership with Under Armour and became the latest addition to a long list of Adidas stars including Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Barça star Pedri.
Alexander-Arnold made the official announcement on Sunday morning on social media that represents his growing popularity in world football, after Klopp ceded the vice-captain position vacated by James Milner to him just a few months ago.
Alexander-Arnold, along with the club's new captain Virgil van Dijk, has made his mark in the leadership team and has become another pillar of the 'scum two' philosophy.
Now 25 years old and about to make 300 appearances for his old club, Alexander-Arnold is no longer the Jade he was protected by his experienced colleagues. Now, like his idol Steven Gerrard, he is a Liverpudlian captain in a Reds shirt and plays as a regular in the most important games.
Cocoby-born Liverpool legend Phil Thompson said: "You'll see how much he's grown and improved, and as a local it's really special. By the way, this does have its burden, because you don't give a lot, so it's easy for people to criticize you.
You know, when you put on the captain's armband, like I did after wearing it for a while, it feels good, when you're on the pitch, it feels good. It's lovely for your family that you've captained Liverpool and I know everyone will pass the armband to you, but it's special to captain a full game. ”
The players themselves recognise that now at Anfield it's a different style of leadership. Milner and Jordan Henderson are known for their unsmiling, sometimes almost principal-like attitudes, while Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold offer a more relaxed approach, content to lead by example on the pitch.
Henderson and Milner, who are known for introducing policies that try to punish the team with fines for wrongdoing at the table, such as not keeping time or playing on their phones, and now that the team relies more on self-monitoring, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are keen to foster a culture of collective accountability. It is understood that this has made the atmosphere within the squad more tranquil, although a strong start to the game has also helped to avoid any nervousness.
The calm presence combined with Van Dijk's super-cool achievements has helped him earn respect without having to be overly vocal or outspoken off the pitch. Whether it's at the AXA Training Centre or at Anfield, when their new captain has something to say, the whole squad knows to listen.
Thompson, who led the Reds to Champions League glory in 1981, told The Echo: "When you raise your voice (which you don't always do), people jump up and listen, they know what you're saying. But if you're always chattering and nagging, it's not going to work. So you have to do it at a specific time, and that's why I think Van Dijk is the best person to do when Henderson leaves. ”
Van Dijk is now in his sixth year with the Reds and the Champions League and Premier League winner remains a source of inspiration for many of his younger colleagues, such as the likes of newcomer Jarell Quansah, who has no better Xi to learn from. "Van Dijk makes everything look so simple, doesn't he?Even if you're around him, he's like that," Kwanza said last week.
As the club's captain, one of the first things he did was to hold a pre-match party before kick-off, with the aim of giving everyone some final inspiration before kick-off. The Dutch captain did so during his time at Celtic, and while the aim on the pitch was to convey the most prominent points during the game, it was also to lift the spirits of the home fans at Anfield.
Thompson added: "I think he's in his own right, and I think he's taken it well. I think if you look at Virgil van Dijk, he's stepped up this season and he himself admits that he probably wasn't at his best last season. He's been that way this year, you know, against Brentford he was at its peak, he said: 'I'm back. 'His performance was absolutely superb. He's the Rolls-Royce defender we remember.
So the responsibility got him back to his best. I see this in him. When you have that state, you show your leadership, you start telling people what to do, and that's the kind of person he is. Van Dijk is back, and in a good way. ”