Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid: The Return of Arne "Time"'s Magical Show

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY – The magic of Arne Time, or victories in the dying minutes, has proven to be no mere coincidence for Liverpool. "The Reds" have demonstrated this at least in five matches, including during their 3-2 triumph over Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, on Thursday (18/9/2025) early morning WIB.

The term "Fergie Time" became very famous in the early 2000s. Fergie Time refers to the peculiar tendency of MU, under the direction of Sir Alex Ferguson, to always manage to break the deadlock in the final minutes of the match. It is called Fergie Time because Ferguson was often caught on camera trying to intimidate opponents by glancing at his watch as the match was nearing its end.

Fergie Time gained momentum alongside the glory of MU. After retiring in 2013, MU's performance declined drastically. Fergie Time has been buried for quite some time as a myth of the past. However, the phenomenon once experienced by MU has now been reincarnated in a nearly similar form within their eternal rival, Liverpool.

This season, Liverpool has exhibited a peculiar tendency to consistently break the deadlock in the final minutes, ultimately leading them to victory.

Due to the frequency of winning in the final minutes, the public has begun to associate it with Fergie Time. However, the term has been adapted to the current context, namely Arne Time, which refers to Liverpool Manager Arne Slot.

Arne Time once again displayed its magic for the third time as Liverpool achieved a dramatic victory over Atletico Madrid. The goal from tall defender Virgil Van Dijk a few minutes before the match ended intensified the magical aura of Arne Time.

This is not the first time "The Reds" have showcased Arne Time magic. In the previous four matches, Liverpool also had to wait until the final minutes to secure victory. In the win against Burnley last week, Mohamed Salah converted a penalty in the 90+5 minute, which became the only goal of the match.

That goal made Liverpool the only team in the history of the English Premier League to score a winning goal in the last 10 minutes in four consecutive matches. Before facing Burnley, Federico Chiesa's goal in the 88th minute gave Liverpool a 4-2 lead over Bournemouth.

We found a way to win.

In addition, there was also a goal by Rio Ngumoha in the 100th minute during the 3-2 victory over Newcastle. There was also a stunning free-kick goal by Dominik Szoboszlai in the 83rd minute when defeating Arsenal, 1-0.

Despite having the advantage of fighting spirit that brings out the magic of Arne Time, Liverpool's left-back Andrew Robertson believes that his team needs to win matches more clinically and not prolong the outcomes.

"We need to achieve victory again in a simpler and easier way. The assistant manager turned to me when Virgil (Van Dijk) scored and said he was too old to (score the winning goal in the final minutes). So, I can't imagine what the (reaction) of the fans would be," said Robertson.

Last-minute goals can always be perceived as a form of luck. However, this was not the case for Liverpool in this match. "The Reds" knew how to penetrate the layered 4-4-2 defense favored by Diego Simeone.

Ryan Gravenberch consistently positioned himself in the left third of Atletico's defense, leading to Liverpool's second goal by Mohamed Salah. The combination pass between Gravenberch and Salah successfully created a gap, which was also initiated by Salah's ability to dribble in tight spaces.

Salah's goal further elevated Liverpool, who had taken the lead early in the match through Robertson. The left-back inadvertently deflected a powerful shot resulting from Salah's free kick.

However, Atletico was able to bounce back through the performance of Marcos Llorente, who scored two equalizing goals. Llorente seemed to know how to breach Liverpool's goal, considering this was the second time he had done so.

The moment of Llorente's prowess against Liverpool occurred in the round of 16 of the Champions League in March 2020. At that time, Atletico eliminated Liverpool at Anfield with a score of 3-2 and advanced with an aggregate advantage of 4-2.

Llorente's goal was warmly welcomed by the staff and substitute players of Atletico. However, their happiness did not last until the end as Van Dijk secured Liverpool's advantage.

"It is true. We started well, but Atletico managed to turn the situation around and equalized to 2-2. One could say we should have done more to prevent such a situation (losing a two-goal lead), but we found a way to secure the victory," said Van Dijk.

This intense match was also marked by a red card incident received by Simeone shortly after Van Dijk's goal. The Atletico coach was involved in a dispute with Liverpool supporters at the edge of the field. According to Simeone, the Liverpool supporters continuously insulted his team throughout the 90 minutes, prompting his reaction. (REUTERS)