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For the first time in a year and a half, Anfield was full of fans on Saturday when Liverpool faced Burnley in the home opener of the Premier League’s 2021-22 season. For the first time in a year and a half, a full Kop cheered the players and sang their songs and belted out You’ll Never Walk Alone.
It perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that, of all the things that happened on the way to Liverpool’s comfortable 2-0 victory, it was that the fans were back and making noise that was the biggest highlight for Jürgen Klopp, with the Liverpool manager eager to talk about it afterwards.
“My favourite moment of all the moments was the roar around the first whistle,” Klopp told the club’s official website. “I would be afraid if this would not have been for us. It is really, really, really nice. I didn’t know that I missed it because I forgot it, which is probably normal after 529 days.”
As much as the crowd gave Klopp and the team a little extra push on this past Saturday, a full Anfield should be even louder and more impassioned this upcoming Saturday when the Reds welcome face fellow title contenders Chelsea to their home with the chance to make an early statement.
It’s not a match that will win or lose the title for Klopp’s Reds or Thomas Tuchel’s London Blues, but three points for either would send a strong message and arguably set that side out as early favourites in what is expected to be a four team race with Manchester City and United also involved.