Top of the Premier League, three wins from three in the Champions League… it’s been a decent start to the 2020/21 season for Liverpool, hasn’t it?That 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa aside, the defending Premier League champions haven’t slipped up and look primed for another successful campaign.Any doubts that Virgil van Dijk’s injury would derail their season haven’t yet been proven, while Diogo Jota looks like the signing of the summer.The Portuguese forward netted a hat-trick in Liverpool’s 5-0 win against Atalanta on Tuesday, becoming the 10th player to score three times in a European Cup/Champions League game for the club.
Atalanta finished third in Serie A last season but Liverpool made them look like they didn’t belong in the Champions League.
“We defended Atalanta on an incredibly high level and played ourselves top football and scored the goals,” Jurgen Klopp said at full-time, per Liverpool’s website.
“That’s how it looks. We scored five goals, could have scored maybe two or three more, I don’t know.”
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah also got on the scoresheet, so you would assume that Liverpool’s front three were all satisfied with proceedings at the Gewiss Stadium.
But that wouldn’t entirely be true.
Both Mane and Salah reacted angrily after missing opportunities to add to Liverpool’s lead while they were 5-0 up.
In the 83rd minute, Salah raced through on goal but his shot was saved by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello.
The Egyptian reacted by kicking the advertising board behind Atalanta’s goal.
Then a minute later, Mane’s header from point-blank range was straight at Sportiello. He punched the ground before getting to his feet.
It summed up the attitude of these Liverpool players. They’re always wanting more.
Klopp once labelled his squad ‘mentality monsters’ and it became clear where they get it from when the German was booked late on for arguing about a penalty that wasn’t given while Liverpool led 5-0.
They’re never satisfied, are they?