THE merits of the Anfield atmosphere is a regular topic of discussion for Liverpool fans and opposition fans alike, but on Saturday afternoon there’s no denying that it helped the home side to an important comeback against Brighton.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said that it was the loudest he’d heard Anfield since arriving at the club in the summer and Brighton manager Fabian Hurzler said it affected his players.
Liverpool were 1-0 down at half-time after Ferdi Kadioglu had given the visitors a deserved lead.
But with Arsenal having lost earlier in the day and Manchester City behind at Bournemouth, it was a golden opportunity to take a lead in the title race.
To do so Liverpool needed to come from behind after a poor first-half performance.
Anfield responded to this opportunity to get one over on their title challengers, spurring the team on as goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah eventually won the game for Liverpool.
Opposition fans often sing “where’s your famous atmosphere,” at Anfield, usually as Liverpool cruise to one of their more routine Saturday afternoon victories absorbed by the Kop if not wildly celebrated by it.
But Liverpool’s home atmosphere, as is the case for many football teams on these islands, is not a continuous noise or a perpetual drone.
Different cultures have different ways of providing an atmosphere. Liverpool’s is one that reacts directly to their team’s situation and to what’s happening in the game.
While the atmospheres in some leagues around the world are built on continuous noise and singing, regardless of game state or result, the kind of atmosphere seen at Anfield is a relationship with the players, the flow of the game and the situation.
On the flip side, if an opposition team gets a result from Anfield, their fans located in the away section at the Anfield Road end will have usually played their part.
Saturday showed why the idea of a “famous” Anfield atmosphere exists in the first place.
It is not exactly reserved for these moments, unlocked from the atmosphere cupboard when needed, but it does tend to emerge naturally when required.
This is why games in Uefa competitions are often referred to as “famous European nights” and why opposition managers talk sincerely about the atmosphere on those occasions.
“We were a little bit affected by the atmosphere,” Brighton head coach Hurzeler said when discussing why his team lost their lead in the second half.
“Maybe I have to call Jurgen Klopp and ask him about the solutions for opposition teams here.
“It was a tough moment. I only experienced that atmosphere on television before and now we experienced it ourselves.”
Slot, himself new to Liverpool this season, said that the fans helped the team to victory.
“Our fans were incredible in the second half, the loudest crowd since I’ve been here,” said the Dutchman.
“That definitely has an influence on our players and, in the end, on the result.”
It’s a result that saw Liverpool go two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and seven ahead of Arsenal, and their fans played a big part in the way this table currently looks.
