Ranking Liverpool’s Best – And Worst – Opening Day Performances of the Premier League Era
Image by Keith Miller on flickr
Each year, the excitement for the release of the new season’s Premier League fixture list seems to grow in intensity.
Who will we have on the opening day? What about the last day of the season? Boxing Day and the wider festive period? When do we play Everton, Arsenal, Manchester City/United? And so on.
For Liverpool in 2026/27 specifically, there will be a desire to get off to a fast start after the troubles of last term. Ideally, we’d like to see any new signings – like Victor Munoz – hitting the ground running, with an uptick in form from those who struggled somewhat in 2025/26.
And then, of course, any new boss wants to get their job up and running with a win – Andoni Iraola being no exception.
So all eyes will be on St James’ Park on August 23, with Liverpool travelling to take on Newcastle United in the Sunday afternoon kick off.
This is a fixture that has served up some classic games over the years, while the Reds themselves have generally been excellent on the opening day of the season.
Their record in the first game of the campaign reads W20 D10 L4, with six consecutive wins and counting at Anfield. Liverpool are fast starters, that’s for sure.
Here’s a look back at some of their best opening day performances of the Premier League era… alongside one of their worst.
Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool (2016/17)
| Arsenal | Score | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Theo Walcott 31′ | 1-0 | – |
| – | 1-1 | Philippe Coutinho 45′ |
| – | 1-2 | Adam Lallana |
| – | 1-3 | Philippe Coutinho 56′ |
| – | 1-4 | Sadio Mané 63′ |
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 64′ | 2-4 | – |
| Calum Chambers 75′ | 3-4 | – |
It’s one of the greatest opening day games in Premier League history… capped by one of Liverpool’s finest performances in their first match of a new campaign.
They went a goal behind to Theo Walcott’s first half strike, but then ran riot: goals from Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and a brace from Philippe Coutinho asserting Liverpool’s complete dominance at the Emirates Stadium.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got Arsenal back into the game before Calum Chambers set up a grandstand finale, but the Reds were able to hang on to a fine victory that set out their credentials for the 2016/17 campaign.
Liverpool 4-3 Leeds United (2020/21)
| Liverpool | Score | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah (pen) 4′ | 1-0 | – |
| – | 1-1 | Jack Harrison 12′ |
| Virgil van Dijk 20′ | 2-1 | – |
| – | 2-2 | Patrick Bamford 30′ |
| Mohamed Salah 33′ | 3-2 | – |
| – | 3-3 | Mateusz Klich 66′ |
| Mohamed Salah (pen) 88′ | 4-3 | – |
This was a game that BBC writer Phil McNulty described as ‘flawed and fabulous’, and it was a contest that perfectly highlighted the unpredictable season that was to follow for champions Liverpool.
But it goes down as one of the Reds’ best opening day performances of the Premier League for the courage shown by the players as Marcelo Bielsa’s fearless Leeds threw the kitchen sink at the champions.
Mo Salah was the hero, notching a hat-trick – including the 88th minute winner, with Virgil van Dijk also on the scoresheet with a header.
Liverpool led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and – eventually – 4-3 in a fixture that few in attendance at Anfield that day would forget in a hurry.
Crystal Palace 1-6 Liverpool (1994/95)
| Crystal Palace | Score | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| – | 0-1 | Jan Mølby (pen) 12′ |
| – | 0-2 | Steve McManaman 14′ |
| – | 0-3 | Robbie Fowler 45′ |
| Chris Armstrong 49′ | 1-3 | – |
| – | 1-4 | Ian Rush 60′ |
| – | 1-5 | Steve McManaman 70′ |
| – | 1-6 | Ian Rush 73′ |
A new manager and some fresh faces on the pitch had given Liverpool fans hope of a big season in 1994/95.
Roy Evans was at the helm, and he watched on with delight as his new side demolished Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Braces from both Ian Rush and Steve McManaman set the tone in a game in which the Reds led 3-0, with strikes from Jan Molby and Robbie Fowler rounding out perhaps Liverpool’s most dominant opening day display of the past three decades.
Liverpool 4-0 West Ham (2018/19)
| Liverpool | Score | West Ham |
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah 19′ | 1-0 | – |
| Sadio Mané 45+2′ | 2-0 | – |
| Sadio Mané 53′ | 3-0 | – |
| Daniel Sturridge 88′ | 4-0 | – |
Hope and expectation ahead of the 2018/19 campaign was met with a performance to match on the opening day.
The likes of Alisson and Naby Keita made their debuts for the club at Anfield, but it was the fearsome front three of Salah, Mane and Daniel Sturridge that did the damage against the Hammers.
They each scored, Mane weighing in with a brace, as Liverpool delivered exactly the kind of opening day performance and victory that fans dream of.
West Brom 3-0 Liverpool (2012/13)
| West Brom | Score | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Zoltán Gera 43′ | 1-0 | – |
| Peter Odemwingie (pen) 64′ | 2-0 | – |
| Romelu Lukaku 77′ | 3-0 | – |
While the Reds have often been very good in their first game of a new season, their record is not blemish-free by any means.
This was perhaps the nadir of the Premier League era: a 0-3 tonking at the hands of a West Brom side managed by Steve Clarke, who had been sacked as Liverpool assistant following the arrival of Brendan Rodgers.
It was a bizarre game in which Luis Suarez missed a glut of big chances for Liverpool, while West Brom could have added to their three-goal tally.
Either way, this has to go down in the ledger as the Reds’ worst opening day performance in the Premier League era.
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