Liverpool’s knack for late drama is quickly becoming the defining story of the early 2025-2026 Premier League season. On Sunday, September 14, 2025, the Reds reclaimed top spot in the league with a heart-stopping penalty winner against Burnley at Turf Moor, continuing a remarkable trend of scoring decisive goals after the 80th minute in every match so far. For fans and rivals alike, the question hangs in the air: can Arne Slot’s side keep up this high-wire act, or will the grind of the season catch up with them?
As Gary Neville stepped into the commentary gantry at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool were locked in a tense 0-0 with Burnley deep into stoppage time. By the time he emerged, the deadlock had been broken. Neville, speaking on the Sky Sports Gary Neville Podcast, summed up the feeling of inevitability: “I had absolutely no doubt that Liverpool would have scored. They’ve got that thing at the moment that we (Manchester United) had, and which Manchester City have had. Teams that win leagues have it: that mentality.”
The numbers back him up. Liverpool have now become the only team in Premier League history to net winning goals in the final 10 minutes of four consecutive matches at the start of a season. This run began with Federico Chiesa’s 88th-minute strike to secure a 4-2 win over Bournemouth, was followed by Rio Ngumoha’s 100th-minute clincher in a 3-2 thriller against Newcastle, then Dominik Szoboszlai’s 83rd-minute free kick to topple Arsenal, and finally Mohamed Salah’s ice-cold penalty at Burnley. That’s four wins, four late winners, and a growing sense that something special is brewing at Anfield.
But how sustainable is this habit of leaving it late? The answer might lie in the team’s attitude and the tactical bravery of new manager Arne Slot. There’s been little pattern to the types of goals scored—some, like Szoboszlai’s free kick or Ngumoha’s poacher’s finish, were products of individual brilliance, while others, like Salah’s penalty, owed as much to persistence and a bit of luck. What ties them together is composure under pressure. Both Chiesa and Ngumoha, despite the mounting tension, finished with remarkable cool. And Salah, who had missed his previous two penalties for Liverpool, didn’t flinch when the moment called.
Slot himself admitted some nerves before Salah stepped up, referencing the Egyptian’s recent misses in the Community Shield shootout and a friendly against Athletic Club. “He did score one for Egypt during the international break against Ethiopia, and he made no mistake from the spot at Turf Moor,” reported The Athletic. The victory wasn’t just about the penalty—it was about the relentless pressure Liverpool applied. As Virgil van Dijk put it after the match, “We played against a team that had a very low block, so it was always going to be difficult. In the end, we got the penalty that we deserved because we kept pushing. The body language was good and we didn’t get frustrated.”
The roots of this late-goal phenomenon stretch back to the Jurgen Klopp era, when Liverpool earned the label of ‘mentality monsters.’ Pep Guardiola, after a dramatic Liverpool comeback in 2019-20, said, “If it’s one time, two times (then it’s) ‘We were lucky’ but it happened in the last two seasons many, many times; they have a special character to do that.” The numbers tell the tale: since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, Liverpool have scored 47 winners in the 90th minute or later—13 more than their nearest rivals, Arsenal. That trend has only accelerated under Slot.
Of course, mentality alone doesn’t win matches. Slot has shown a willingness to take risks, and he’s not afraid to throw caution to the wind in pursuit of victory. Against Burnley, he finished with a front five of Salah, Chiesa, Ngumoha, Frimpong, and Cody Gakpo, flanked by attacking full-backs Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley. With Szoboszlai marshalling midfield and Ryan Gravenberch filling in at center-back, it was a bold, almost reckless, attacking setup.
Slot explained his thinking after the match: “In the end, you always come back to, ‘I don’t want to leave this stadium with a draw thinking I didn’t bring all my attackers in, all the guys that can score a goal.’ In another game, you may wonder if it's worth the risk to play with seven attackers, but against a team that plays with 11 players in their own 18-yard box, that’s not, I think, a big risk then and that’s why we decided to do that.”
It’s a strategy that inspires belief among the players. Van Dijk, when asked about the manager’s approach, said, “The manager knows what he is doing and he has the full trust in me and the others at the back.” Andy Robertson echoed this sentiment, noting, “To be there or thereabouts at the end of the season, you have to have wins like this, but we obviously have to improve and we are getting better and working hard on the training pitch. You need to start winning matches more comfortably, but it is pleasing that we have got four wins when we are not at our peak.”
Depth, too, has played a part. Both Chiesa and Ngumoha have made match-winning impacts off the bench, showing that Slot’s substitutions are more than just fresh legs—they’re game-changers. Against Newcastle, Ngumoha entered in the 96th minute and scored in the 100th, while Chiesa’s winner against Bournemouth came just six minutes after his introduction. Even in the Burnley clash, substitutes nearly combined for an earlier breakthrough before Frimpong’s cross led to the decisive penalty.
Looking ahead, Liverpool’s mettle will be tested. Their next five fixtures are a gauntlet: the Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield on September 20, a trip to Crystal Palace on September 27, a potentially pivotal clash at Chelsea on October 4, a home showdown with Manchester United on October 19, and a tricky away day at Brentford on October 25. Each opponent presents unique challenges, and with the Reds not yet firing on all cylinders, fans will be watching to see if their late-goal magic holds out.
Meanwhile, title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City are keeping pace. Arsenal, buoyed by Martin Zubimendi’s brace in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, face Manchester City at the Emirates on September 21—a fixture that could shape the early title narrative. City, fresh off a dominant derby win where Erling Haaland bagged a brace, head to North London for what promises to be a real litmus test of their credentials. Both sides have a mix of tough and winnable games ahead, but Liverpool’s ability to snatch victory from the jaws of a draw is giving them a crucial edge in these early weeks.
For now, Liverpool’s streak of late winners is the talk of the Premier League. While it’s a thrilling ride for supporters, even the players and staff acknowledge it can’t last forever. As the season wears on, Slot will be hoping his side can start putting games to bed earlier, but until then, Reds fans will be savoring every last-gasp moment. With the schedule only getting tougher, the coming weeks will reveal if Liverpool’s blend of mentality, depth, and tactical boldness is enough to keep them on top.
