Breaking the deadlock within five minutes was only the beginning of Liverpool's assault in their first match of the new season.
The roar of Anfield never let up.
Backed by the total midfield superiority that Kroos and De Bruyne commanded, they had taken complete control of the match.
Wave after wave of attacks came, until they could do almost anything they pleased.
Southampton's defence was battered again and again, run ragged, with no way of hitting back.
Southampton's players simply couldn't put together an attack. Outnumbered, every time they won the ball in midfield or up front they were swarmed by several Reds, their passes going astray again and again, leaving them with nothing to do but defend.
Liverpool, meanwhile, drew on their command of midfield to keep launching aggressive assaults on Southampton's back line.
Through the middle, Suárez and Julien linked up brilliantly, tearing holes in the opposition's defence time after time. The attack simply would not stop.
Time after time they came within a whisker of scoring.
Even the commentator couldn't help remarking, "Liverpool's attack is too ferocious. Southampton conceding is only a matter of time…"
His words proved prophetic.
In the 18th minute, Liverpool created another chance to go for the throat.
Gerrard took the ball in midfield. Instead of hurrying it to Kroos beside him, he lifted his head to read the game, his eyes locking onto Julien who was surging forward.
Then came a trademark long pass.
The ball flew in a perfect arc, over Southampton's entire back line.
Straight to the onrushing Julien.
Julien's movement was supremely sharp. He ran a crossing run with Suárez, and a brief gap opened up, which he seized.
He took the ball on his chest and pushed it forward.
Then, with the ball at his feet, he feinted as if to surge ahead, but in fact suddenly dragged it back, shaking off the defender in front of him.
A gap had opened!
Julien didn't hesitate.
Bang!
A driven shot!
The ball eased between the crowd of players in the box, along the only possible shooting lane, and burrowed into the net!
Swish!
Goal!
2-0!
Liverpool extended their lead!
Boom!
Anfield instantly erupted.
The fans shouted the names of Gerrard and Julien, their cheers echoing to the heavens.
Gerrard smiled and rushed over to celebrate with Julien. Even though he was no longer the team's undisputed first choice, he could still contribute.
Julien, for his part, ran to Gerrard and embraced him tightly.
They had quickly gone two goals ahead, but Liverpool's assault did not let up. They kept up their high-intensity pressing, and Southampton's defence was already buckling under the strain.
In the 24th minute, Julien again showed his extraordinary individual ability. Taking the ball on the left, with startling explosiveness and delicate footwork he beat two Southampton defenders in a row.
He tore all the way into the box.
Faced with the goalkeeper closing him down and defenders scrambling back, Julien didn't rush to shoot. Instead, he calmly surveyed the scene and, with a clever pass back, gave the ball to De Bruyne, who was following up.
De Bruyne took it and tapped it in, the ball going straight into the goal. 3-0!
Liverpool's advantage grew further!
The commentator was full of shock: "Terrifying! Liverpool's attack simply can't be stopped! Julien's individual ability is unstoppable. He beat man after man, then calmly passed back, and De Bruyne didn't waste the chance, finishing it in one go! This is Liverpool's strength: midfield controlling everything, firepower in the front line at full blast, and Southampton pressed so hard they can barely breathe!"
Southampton's players, by now, had sunk to the lowest depths of morale.
Their attack had no structure, and all they could do was defend passively in their own half. But Liverpool did not slow down. Still relying on their midfield advantage, they kept creating chances.
Julien was in even hotter form, becoming a nightmare for Southampton's defenders.
In the 33rd minute, Liverpool's attack came again. Kroos took the ball in midfield and passed it to Julien at the top of the box.
Receiving the ball, Julien, with two Southampton defenders closing in on him, showed not a trace of panic. He gathered power in his foot and, meeting the incoming ball, unleashed a thunderous long-range shot!
The ball whistled toward the top right corner of the goal!
It crashed into the net!
4-0!
"Goal! Julien! A brace! 4-0! Oh my God! Not even half-time yet, and Liverpool are already 4-0 up on Southampton!" the commentator kept exclaiming. "This is Julien's dominance. He's made three goals on his own, both assists and goals; whether it's dribbling, passing or shooting, he's shown world-class quality!"
Anfield was plunged fully into celebration!
The fans jumped and cheered, savouring every moment of this crushing victory.
Southampton's players, meanwhile, stood on the pitch with heads hanging.
Their eyes were full of despair. They had been completely torn apart by Liverpool; in attack and in defence both they could find no way through, and could only let the Reds slaughter them.
Not even half-time had arrived, and already 4-0. Liverpool, with one thoroughly satisfying attacking display, had shown the terrifying dominance of the new season.
Their absolute midfield superiority let them do whatever they pleased.
In the visiting dugout, Southampton's new manager Ronald Koeman looked grim and bewildered.
This summer, Southampton had gone through the turmoil of a managerial change: Pochettino had left to take charge at Tottenham, and the Dutch legend Koeman had been called in at short notice, taking up Southampton's reins.
This Premier League opener against Liverpool was both his managerial debut at Southampton and the first test of his coaching ability.
But he was clearly unprepared.
Faced with Liverpool's overwhelming pressure, he seemed at a loss the whole way through.
When the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half, the Southampton players trudged back to the dressing room with heads down, one after another looking vacant, without a shred of fighting spirit.
The huge 4-0 gap had long since shattered their psychological defences.
Koeman frowned deeply, his eyes were also full of confusion. He watched the players walk past him, opened his mouth, and didn't know what to say, still less how to adjust his tactics.
The gulf in raw strength was far too obvious.
Liverpool's midfield control, front-line firepower and depth of squad had all far exceeded his expectations.
Facing a one-sided rout like this, he looked helpless.
In the dressing room, Koeman was silent for a long time before he forced himself to speak. "Lift your spirits. Be a little more focused in defence, try to organize a few counterattacks, and don't give up so easily."
But such instructions sounded weak and powerless.
Every player knew in his heart that against an unstoppable Liverpool, no adjustment could change the situation; the gulf in strength was not something a simple tactical tweak could bridge.
Koeman looked at his silent players, his heart was full of helplessness.
He knew that his managerial debut would most likely end in a heavy defeat.
The brief half-time break ended.
Both sides' players stepped back onto the pitch, and on Liverpool's side, Klopp made rotation changes.
Julien and De Bruyne, both in hot form, were substituted off.
Coutinho and Pogba came on as replacements.
Even with two core attackers taken off, the Reds' lineup was still star-studded. This was Liverpool's terrifying squad depth: even the substitutes were strong enough to crush the opposition.
After the second half began, Liverpool's attack remained fierce.
Not weakened in the slightest by the rotation, Coutinho and Pogba quickly slotted into the rhythm of the game and continued to launch wave after wave of assaults on Southampton's defence.
In the 57th minute, Liverpool's attack bore fruit once more.
Pogba took the ball in midfield and, using his superb physical strength, shook off two Southampton midfielders, then played a precise through ball to Suárez in the box.
Suárez received it, turned smoothly, and fired a powerful shot. The ball beat the fingertips of Southampton's goalkeeper and burrowed into the goal.
5-0!
Liverpool extended their lead further, and the cheers at Anfield rang to the heavens once more.
The commentator no longer knew what to say, and could only manage, "Terrifying! Even with a rotated lineup, Liverpool's attack is still unstoppable! De Bruyne's through ball was precise and incisive, Suárez's finishing as reliable as ever. With this kind of squad depth, no one in the whole Premier League can match them! Koeman's Southampton clearly haven't yet found an answer to Liverpool. The gulf in raw strength leaves them only able to take a beating…"
Southampton, by now, had all but given up resisting entirely.
Koeman stood at the touchline with his hands on his hips, his face dark, his eyes full of despair, able only to watch as his team was broken open by Liverpool again and again.
In the 78th minute, Liverpool's attack still showed no sign of letting up.
Coutinho took the ball on the left, changed direction repeatedly to get past Southampton's defender, and played a clever cross to Pogba, who was following up.
Pogba received it and hit a long-range shot toward the bottom right corner of the goal. Southampton's goalkeeper dived with all his might, but still could not keep the ball out.
6-0!
Boom!
Boom boom boom!!
Anfield was plunged completely into a sea of celebration!
The fans were so happy they lost all sense of themselves, forgetting heaven and earth altogether.
Singing "You'll Never Walk Alone," jumping and cheering, they savoured every moment of this thoroughly satisfying big win.
The Liverpool players also looked thoroughly relaxed.
In the end when the referee blew the final whistle, the 6-0 scoreline was frozen on the scoreboard.
Liverpool, with a crushing big win, had launched their Premier League campaign for the new season!
Koeman lowered his head and walked quickly out of the stadium. His managerial debut had ended in a heavy defeat.
Liverpool's 6-0 demolition of Southampton was over. It had not only raised the curtain on the new Premier League season in dreamlike fashion, but also stirred up a great storm in the football world.
After the match, discussion among the major media outlets and fans completely simmered over.
Whether on social media, the sports pages, or fan forums, everything was astonishment and praise for Liverpool.
"Reds' attack invincible" and "epic midfield upgrade" became the hottest topics.
Mainstream outlets such as Skies Sports and BCB Sport were quick to publish reports praising Liverpool's terrifying strength.
"The 6-0 rout is only the beginning. Liverpool's attacking firepower is now out of control. The midfield pairing of Kroos and De Bruyne has taken the Reds' possession and distribution to the very top level of the Premier League. This is an epic midfield upgrade, and with the front three led by Julien and Suárez as well, an attacking combination like this can only be called unstoppable," Skies Sports' post-match commentary wrote.
The Maily Dail was blunt: "The blockbuster signings of the off-season have let Liverpool make a qualitative leap. Midfield has become the most dominant part of the team, and the firepower in attack is the best in the Premier League. This Reds side already has what it takes to dominate the league."
The fans' discussions ran even hotter, and social media was full of praise for Liverpool.
"Who'd have thought Liverpool could be this good? The 6-0 win is just an appetizer. In midfield you've got Kroos controlling and De Bruyne breaking through, up front Julien is unstoppable and Suárez finishes. This lineup is basically the chosen team!"
"The epic midfield lives up to its name. Before, Liverpool's attack relied on the individual ability of stars; now the midfield can pass, defend and drive forward, and the attack simply can't be stopped. The Premier League this season is going to be monopolized by the Reds!"
"From the Community Shield to the Premier League opener, Liverpool have used win after big win to prove that their attack is invincible. No team can stop a Reds side like this!"
The whole football world was shaken by the rise of this Reds side.
And Liverpool did not stop there. With win after thoroughly satisfying win they confirmed the praise of the media and fans, and threw the whole Premier League into panic.
In Premier League Round 2, Liverpool travelled to the Etihad Stadium for an away fixture against Manchester City.
As a Premier League heavyweight, City had hoped to use home advantage to ambush the Reds, never expecting that Liverpool's attacking firepower would still be irresistible, and a goal-fest followed.
Throughout the match, Liverpool and City traded blows in an end-to-end contest.
Relying on their absolute midfield advantage, the Reds firmly controlled the tempo, with Kroos's passing and De Bruyne's incisive runs constantly creating chances for the front line.
Julien and Suárez took turns to torment City, whose defence was torn open again and again. Although City did score three on the counterattack,
Liverpool's attack was even more unstoppable.
In the end, the Reds beat City 5-3 away from home, taking a big away win and continuing to lead the Premier League table.
This match proved once more to the whole Premier League that Liverpool's attack was not only fierce, but that even against strong opposition, it could still show absolute dominance.
In Premier League Round 3, Liverpool continued their away run, taking on Pochettino's Tottenham.
Although Pochettino knew the rhythm of the Premier League well and tried to limit Liverpool with tactics, against the Reds Tottenham still could not hold out.
Throughout the match, Liverpool firmly suppressed Tottenham.
The midfield passing game left Tottenham with no way of organizing any effective attack.
Julien's dribbling and De Bruyne's orchestration created chance after chance.
In the end, the Reds won 3-0 away at Tottenham, taking a third straight Premier League win and leading the table, while also giving Tottenham a taste of heavy defeat.
As time moved into September, the Premier League grew ever more intense.
And Liverpool's momentum remained unstoppable.
At Anfield, the Reds welcomed the challenge of Aston Villa. Playing at home, Liverpool again showed terrifying attacking firepower; from start to finish the Reds' assault never let up, and midfield still controlled the whole game.
Julien, Suárez and Coutinho scored in turn.
In the end, Liverpool beat Aston Villa 5-1 at home, carrying their winning run forward.
In just a few Premier League rounds, Liverpool had beaten their opponents by the lopsided scores of 6-0, 5-3, 3-0 and 5-1, winning four in a row.
Their goal tally was the best in the Premier League, their attacking firepower truly terrifying.
For a time, the entire Premier League was in uproar!
Whether heavyweights or mid-to-lower-table sides, all were alarmed at Liverpool's strength.
The major media spoke up again, exclaiming, "Liverpool's attack is too fierce!"
"This is an unstoppable Reds side!"
The fans, too, sighed one after another: "With a Liverpool like this, who can stop them?!"
Just as the league was being torn apart, the Champions League arrived on schedule!
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