It's been the best part of 18 months since Anfield has been full for a competitive fixture but the fans return in their entirety today for a clash with Burnley.
Burnley inflicted Liverpool's first defeat at Anfield in January this year - a defeat that ended an astonishing 3 and a half year unbeaten Premier League record at home.
As the reds injuries finally took their toll, the reds collapsed from first in the Premier League to as low as 8th before mounting an astonishing fightback towards the end of the season.
Liverpool still have players returning slowly from injury and extended summer holidays, but started the campaign well with a 3-0 victory last week away at Norwich with Jota, Firmino and Salah all opening their 2021/22 goal accounts.
The early kick off usually struggles to provide a decent atmosphere. Today that excuse shouldn't be there.
As it happened...
It's good to be back...
"Football is a nice game without you, but with you it’s the best game in the world." ❤️
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 20, 2021
Tomorrow, we'll be together again. #WalkOn pic.twitter.com/2cQ9PdtA3a
Harvey Elliott replaces James Milner from last week's side due to a knock. Henderson back. Robertson is on the bench.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Henderson, Keita, Elliott, Mane, Salah, Jota.
Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Konate, Thiago, Firmino, Gomez, Jones, Minamino, Robertson.
Here's how Sean Dyche's men line up today:
Pope, Lowton, Taylor, Tarkowski, Mee, Cork, Gudmundsson, Brownhill, McNeil, Wood, Barnes
Subs: Hennessey, Norris, Rodriguez, Bardsley, Pieters, Richardson, Collins, Dodgson, Thomas
Hearing reports that there is a lot of queueing outside the ground to get in.
Liverpool introduced a new QR scanning system to get in, but this is the first time it has been used under full capacity.
Kick off supposed to be in 10 minutes.
Burnley win the toss.
Get Liverpool to kick towards the Kop first.
There's a mosaic on the Kop that simply reads '97' and now applause for Andrew Devine.
Here we go!
5' Moment for Burnley early on.
Eventually cleared off the line, however the whole move was offside in any event.
11' Johan Berg Gudmundsson is down after a 50/50 with Tsimikas.
No foul given. Quite right. Get up and get on with it.
18' Brilliant cross from Tsimikas, brilliant movement in the box by Jota who heads it in.
1-0!
20' Big save from Alisson from MacNeill.
Jack Cork with a tasty tackle on Harvey Elliott in the build up.
22' Elliott feeds Salah, the Egyptian glances up and tries the curler.
Pope pushes it out for a corner.
22' And van Dijk heads over the bar from the corner.
Lively first half of the first half.
27' Salah scores - but the old VAR armpit offside comes out and rules it out.
31' Trent flicks one over into the area and Mane shins it over the bar.
Great chance, almost got his foot to that one and it would have been 2-0.
37' Applause from the crowd as Andy Robertson does a little warm up run along the touchline.
Hopefully back in contention for a starting place for the reds next game, although Tsimikas' assist today won't be doing him any harm.
42' Intricate movement by the reds around the Burnley box.
Eventually falls to Salah who shoots. Ben Mee throws the top of his head at it and it bounces away.
Still just the one goal lead.
The mosaic from before kick off.
#JFT97 #YNWA https://t.co/r8pXXPH9OT pic.twitter.com/mY7XJ6sKSz
— Leese ???? (@LastMinuteLeese) August 21, 2021
45' Tarkowski with an arm across the face of the keeper.
Alisson is down, but now back up.
Liverpool arguably should be more than 1-0 up but that was a decent half from the reds.
Substantially better so far than the last time the Clarets visited!
Back underway.
46' Ashley Barnes has the ball in the Liverpool net. Celebrates wildly in front of the Kop and then is ruled out straight away for being massively offside.
Queue laughter from The Kop.
50' Slow start to this half from both the Liverpool players and the fans.
54' Swung in and it's one of those big headers away by Van Dijk.
And he follows it up with a clearance with his feet.
Great to see.
56' Jota feeds a ball through the legs to Mane but Sadio just can't get enough power on that.
Lowton kept close enough to him.
Reds preparing substitutions - Firmino looks like he is coming on.
60' Salah controls the ball but it looks like Trent is going to hit the follow up.
Salah does and it's blocked.
Finally Liverpool sparking in to life in this second half.
63' Jota feeds Mane and wow, Nick Pope gets lucky there from the shot.
Bounces off his feet to safety. Don't think he knew a lot about that one.
65' Jack Cork runs 25 yards to knock over the stationary Diogo Jota.
No foul.
That's a great goal.
69' Virgil van Dijk with a raking pass to Harvey Elliott. Laid off to Trent and Mane bangs that one in with power.
2-0.
73' Almost a goal for a central defender.
Free kick comes in and Van Dijk heads it first, cleared, then Matip has a crack too.
Burnley under pressure here.
75' Jay Rodriguez replaces Chris Wood who has been quiet in this second half.
81' Jota and Keita applauded off - Thiago and Firmino on.
Solid pair of substitutions.
84' Trent Alexander-Arnold with a shot that's easy meat for Nick Pope.
Either needed more power or more curl, that one.
Liverpool look relatively untroubled now.
24 shots so far from the reds who have been by far the better side here.
87' Jack Cork smashes into Tsimikas and the reds left back looks like he's took a knock on the shoulder.
88' Excellent save from Alisson from Jay Rodriguez.
Offside anyway, but still - fine stop from the keeper.
Two men effectively all over Tsimikas who is laying on the ground, and Kostas comes out with the ball.
Brilliant!
92' Sloppy play by Thiago but VVD is there to get the tackle in.
Greek Scouser Tsimikas is replaced by Joe Gomez.
It's all over.
Deserved win.
Liverpool 2-0 Burnley.
The reds continue their 100% start and go, temporarily at least, to the top of the league.
All that early morning action means the reds head the league as we head into the rest of the 9 games this weekend.
Two clean sheets under the belt and Liverpool now unbeaten in the last 12 Premier League games too.
Chelsea await next for the reds which will be a sterner test.
