About 15-20 years ago, the words ‘Fergie Time’ had both Premier League fans and managers on the edges of their seats.
Picture the scene; your club is Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers or Portsmouth, and against the odds you are going into the final minutes against Manchester United at 0-0. Your side has battled hard, defended well and the 90th minute approaches.
The fourth official lifts his board for added time and - SIX MINUTES?! We barely had any stoppages all game, no injuries... where the hell has this come from?
As your heart sinks, the inevitable happens. A speculative cross into the box lands on the head of Wayne Rooney, or Robin van Persie, and despite giving it your all, Man United walk away with all three points.
It was the bane of the Premier League towards the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at Old Trafford. Now, ‘Fergie Time’ may have entered a new form.
Liverpool produced another late show to beat Burnley on Saturday thanks to Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time penalty.
It continued the early theme of the season for Arne Slot’s side, leading many observers to suggest ‘Arne Time’ could now be a genuine thing. So far this season, all four of Liverpool’s wins have come in the dying moments of the game.
Against Bournemouth in their season opener, the Reds found themselves level-pegging at 2-2, but Federico Chiesa scored in the 88th minute and Salah added a stoppage-time clincher.
Another 2-0 lead disappeared the following week against Newcastle, before 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, on his Premier League debut, swept home Salah’s pass in the 10th minute of stoppage time.
Liverpool’s home win against Arsenal came a bit more comfortably, with Dominik Szoboszlai’s brilliant free-kick settling matters as early as the 83rd minute.
Then last weekend’s clash with Burnley required a penalty from Salah in the 95th minute to secure three points for the Reds.
The statistics don’t lie - Liverpool have scored far more Premier League winners in the 90th minute or stoppage time than any other club - 47 in the Premier League era, with Arsenal their nearest challengers on 34 and Man United one further back.
Salah has been key to Liverpool’s late heroics – of their last nine Premier League winning goals in the 90th minute or later, he has set up five, including Ngumoha’s winner at St James’ Park, before scoring Sunday’s penalty.
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