Article Date: 8/17/16  
Written by: Giuliana Viglione

   Lucky Baldwin’s was packed and buzzing on Saturday morning as old faces and new began trickling into the pub en masse to witness the first kickoff of the 2016/17 season.  The tension was palpable from kickoff, with the roaring of “Oh When the Reds” dying off into a nervous low murmur as the two sides traded chances for the opening half hour.  A clumsy tackle by Moreno on the 27th minute sent the Arsenal fans in the pub spinning off in delight but their joy turned to anguish as Mignolet guessed correctly to keep the ball out of the net.  The Mignolet song rang around the pub but it was short-lived, as a sloppy giveaway by Lallana led to a Walcott goal just two minutes later.  For the rest of the half, it seemed like the team was just playing to get to halftime until Coutinho was fouled outside the box.  He stepped up and sent one of the most exquisite free kicks you will ever see curling into the top corner of the net---not a keeper in the world could have saved it.

With a goal under our belts, the atmosphere in the pub and on the pitch had changed noticeably by the time the second half started.  Despite calls for a substitution, any substitution, Klopp persisted with the same team that had only shown flashes of cohesion in the first half.  Yet, a switch had been turned on and the Red Men came out raring to go, with Lallana netting a goal just four minutes after the restart after some beautiful team buildup and an incisive pass by Wijnaldum.  More than a few pints were sacrificed to the floor of Lucky Baldwins!  Not five minutes later, a brilliant third was added---a true team goal if I’ve ever seen one.  Every outfield player had at least one touch in the 27 (yes, 27!) passes leading up to Coutinho’s second.  “Ole, ole, ole ole, Coutinh-o-o-o” came the chants as the team continued to press.

We were well-rewarded with a brilliant solo effort by Sadio Mané as the pub broke into song proclaiming ourselves top of the league.  Yet once again, the atmosphere was quickly subdued by an Oxlade-Chamberlain goal followed in quick succession by the loss of Coutinho to injury.  A third Arsenal goal, by Chambers in the 75th minute, began to give many of us flashbacks to the 4-4 draw against Arsenal several seasons ago, but this time Liverpool’s defense held strong and a final goal was not to be.  A rousing rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone boomed through the pub as the final seconds ticked down, willing the boys on to victory.  It was everything we’ve come to expect from Liverpool in the past few years: brilliant solo goals and defensive sloppiness, saving penalties but conceding from set pieces, magnificent passing play and clumsy challenges.  3 points coming away from a ground at which we’d only won 1 of the past 20 games seemed like too much to ask for at the beginning of the match, but we won, and we won in style.  One thing’s for sure---my heart can’t take another 37 of those.