Manchester City arrived at Anfield on Sunday carrying more than a perfect league record.
It was their first match since an independent commission found them guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine year period, the conclusion of the long running case widely known as the 115 charges.
The home crowd made sure the visitors felt it.
Flares lit up the streets around the ground before kick off, and for an hour Liverpool matched the noise with their football.
The turning point came in the 62nd minute, when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card.
Erling Haaland scored three minutes later, Jeremy Doku curled in a second, and Rayan Cherki added a third on 78 minutes to hand Liverpool their first league defeat of the season.
Afterwards, the man asked to address the bigger story was Virgil van Dijk.
Few players are better placed to speak on it.
The Liverpool captain has been at the heart of this rivalry since arriving in 2018, including two title races that City won by a single point.
He chose his words carefully.
“The only thing I can say, because it’s ongoing, is that I have really enjoyed the rivalry,” Van Dijk said.
“But that is on the pitch, what has happened off the pitch is a totally different story.”
“Because it’s still ongoing, it’s not a good idea for me to comment on this.
“When it’s properly settled I will definitely share my comments on it but for now let’s wait and see.”
It was not a refusal so much as a postponement.
Van Dijk separated the football from the verdict and made clear that he does have a view, one he intends to give once City’s appeal has run its course.
Many Liverpool supporters will read that as a promise, and they will hold him to it.
On the match itself, the captain was more direct.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he felt Liverpool’s first half deserved more than the scoreline suggested.
“I think the first half was good on our side, we showed a lot of intensity,” he said.
“We could have done maybe better on some occasions where we got on the break with them.”
“I don’t think there were massive chances, to be fair, but I think we showed that we wanted to win.”
Asked whether Gravenberch had been unfortunate to be sent off, he replied, “Probably, yeah. But the matter of fact is he gets a second yellow.”
Van Dijk also questioned the consistency of the officiating.
He pointed out that Ronald Araujo was booked in the first minute while other challenges went unpunished, despite players asking for cards.
“The matter of fact is we end up with 10 men and then concede pretty quickly after that.”
“Then it becomes a very difficult game against them again,” he added.
Liverpool stay on nine points, nine behind a City side that have won all six league games.
Whatever happens with the appeal, Van Dijk’s response to it can wait.
The response on the pitch cannot.
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