Roberto Firmino’s Best Moments In A Liverpool Shirt

by | May 16, 2023 | app, Featured Writing, Footie, Guest Column | 3 comments

Roberto Firmino's Best Moments In A Liverpool Shirt

With Roberto Firmino set to leave Anfield at the end of the season, here are some of his best moments in a Liverpool shirt…

 

I COULD have met Roberto Firmino; he visited my hometown of Limassol, in Cyprus, in early 2018.

Stood on a beach a five-minute drive from my house, my mates all sent me photographs with and signatures from the Brazilian. I was in the UK, about to fly back to Cyprus, and I just missed him. I was gutted.

My best friend from school asked Firmino “do you think you’ll score against Manchester City?”, with The Reds due to play Pep Guardiola’s side in a few days’ time. City had yet to lose a league game all season, and Firmino replied: “No, I don’t think I’ll score.”

He was wrong.

And that’s where this list begins — the top 11 memories of Roberto Firmino’s career in a Liverpool shirt starts here, with Bobby’s Fowler-esque finish against Man City…

10. Liverpool 4 Manchester City 3 (2018)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plays Firmino in behind, but the ball looks destined for John Stones to clear. Firmino manages to nip in front of the defender, before outmuscling him with a hefty shoulder barge. Like a monster truck knocking a golf buggy out of the way.

The angle is tricky, but Bobby finds a way. He goes for the chip, and it curves in, just off the inside of the post. Guardiola’s Invincibles-wannabes suddenly look exactly that.

Firmino’s goal — very similar to Robbie Fowler’s against Manchester United in 1995, sets of a chain of three goals, which sees Man City capitulate. Despite a late resurgence, a classic Liverpool wobble, City suffer their first league defeat of the season.

This may well have played a part in the psychological battle when the two sides met in the Champions League quarter final two months later. Which brings us to number 10…

9. Manchester City 1 Liverpool 2 (2018)

Liverpool are all but through to the Champions League semi-finals, having destroyed City in the home leg, and with Salah having nabbed a crucial away goal in the second leg.

But it would be the cherry on the cake to beat City on the night, when at one points Reds fans feared a miraculous Man City comeback (or maybe that was just the paranoia).

Cue Roberto Firmino, who tenaciously presses Nicolas Otamendi, until he’s blinded by Bobby’s gleaming white teeth, and ends up falling backwards on his arse, granting the ball to Firmino, who slots it in the bottom corner.

The celebration is underrated — a sarcastic shocked face, while waving goodbye to the City fans, and their hopes of Champions League glory. See you later, lads!

8. Liverpool 3 Villarreal 0 (2016)

It didn’t lead to anything except a rubbish shot from Alberto Moreno, but this has to be one of the sexiest skill moves of all time.

The pass to Bobby is poor, but with Soldado as the only man to beat, the Brazilian dances around the Spanish forward (whose surname makes him sound slow. I can’t explain why — but he was indeed slow), sending him to the shops, then a hot dog, and finally an ice cream. This is still probably the best and most ambitious piece of skill I have ever seen from a Liverpool player.

I feel like if I was to try this, I would probably trip over my own shoelaces. But it was amazing — right in front of the away fans. And one day before my birthday — the perfect present from the number 11 (at the time).

7. Southampton 0 Liverpool 2 (2018)

Some may not remember this, but this to me is the best assist I’ve ever seen from a Liverpool player. I remember watching Thierry Henry analyse it and observing that Firmino lifts the ball, with a backheel, on purpose, as to make sure the ball doesn’t get intercepted. It finds its way to Salah, who buries it, like he buried everything that season.

It was one of those moments, where you just think “Only Bobby. Only Bobby could do that.”

6. Liverpool 3 Newcastle 1 (2019)

This one gets more credit than the Southampton one, which I can understand, as it looks ‘cooler’ but I do think the Southampton one was a harder assist to pull off.

Having said that, this was no average two-yard pass (although perhaps average by Bobby standards, a man who does keepy uppies in his sleep).

With a huge block of Newcastle players standing in the way of the goal, you just can’t see how Liverpool could end up with a one-versus-one situation in just a few seconds. Again, cue Firmino.

Touch. Drag. Spin. The most aesthetically pleasing assist and goal you could ever see. Not only is the layoff majestic, but Salah then beats his man, who tumbles to the ground — much like I did the time I tried mixing cheap wine with whiskey — and slots it home with ease.

5. FC Porto 0 Liverpool 5 (2017)

Firmino will always be remembered for his wacky celebrations, but this one is a personal favourite. Having made it 4-0 against Porto in the Champions League, Bobby decides the best way to celebrate guaranteed qualification is to spin around and kick the air.

My favourite bit is seeing Mane’s shy attempt at the spin kick right after Firmino’s. A bit like a toddler trying to re-enact what they’ve just seen an adult do.

4. Liverpool 5 Arsenal 1 (2018)

This is my favourite Firmino goal out of context. He’s got space and runs being made to his left and his right. He’s got three Arsenal players stood in front of him. Any other striker passes the ball to the side. Not Bobby. He sees the players in front of him as victims. Victim of a forthcoming humiliation.

Past one. Past two. Torreira tries to come across to block the shot but is blinded by the teeth, and slips over as well. Firmino wheels away in celebration, a scene of devastation behind him, with three Arsenal players on the floor eating grass.

Bobby would go on to nab a hat-trick. Firmino loves a goal against the Gunners almost as much as the Gunners love being good, but not good enough. See this season. Last season. Every season.

3. Liverpool 3 Paris Saint-Germain 2 (2018)

Having nearly had his eye taken out a few days earlier, no one expected Firmino to feature against PSG. The Reds got off to a flying start, but saw their 2-0 lead slip away. They needed a hero.

On comes Firmino, who picks up the ball on the edge of the box. He goes to shoot with his left, then drags the ball back on to his right, sending Marquinhos back to Paris. The angle the shot is taken from looks destined for a block, but somehow, the ball rolls into the bottom corner.

It’s pandemonium inside Anfield, but the man who has just scored a last-minute winner against PSG is calm. He places a hand over the eye that is fortunate to still be in its socket. Little did he know at the time that, without that goal, The Reds would not have been able to go on to lift the Champions League that season.

2. Liverpool 1 Flamengo 0 (2020)

This is probably the selection that makes me the most emotional. Perhaps because of how this season has gone, and comparing that to this moment; the moment Liverpool were crowned the greatest club in world football, for the first time ever. Top of the league by a country mile, and now world champions. A goal for the history books. My favourite Firmino goal in context. And, boy, did he take it well.

It’s a great chance when it falls to him, but it’s not actually the best first touch, so there’s still so much to do. He’ll have to go round the goalkeeper to find the angle to shoot. Like so many of Firmino’s goals, he creates space to shoot by sending players to their knees. The goalkeeper ends up doing a semi handstand, courtesy of Firmino’s feint, and the defenders sliding attempt to block the shot on the line fails.

Another Firmino goal, another defender watching the ball hit the net with his ass on the grass.

World champions. World class player. World class goal.

1. Liverpool 7 Manchester United 0

I’m not sure there are many people who can say they scored the seventh goal of the game past Manchester United. Firmino may be the only person on the planet who’s alive that can say it.

And who else but Firmino? So shortly after the sad news that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season, our number nine made it number seven.

It wasn’t his best goal, but a nice finish, and here, context is everything. It was an absolute party inside Anfield when that ball hit the back of the net. Roberto Firmino’s last goal against Man United for Liverpool will forever be the goal that made it 7-0.

Ten Hag said his players wouldn’t be phased by Anfield. “The grass is green. The ball is round. My head is bald.” Something along those lines, were the words of the United manager before the game, only for Firmino to seal United’s humiliation.

Honourable mentions: Scoring in the last minute versus Spurs (2020) // Sending Mason Holgate before assisting Gini Wijnaldum (2019) // Scoring two great goals against Arsenal (2016) // Scoring a screamer against Stoke during crucial top four run in match (2017) // An incredible improvised finish against Watford (2018) and so many more…

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3 Comments

  1. Stijn De Nys
    Stijn De Nys on 16 May 2023 at 7:07 pm

    Jesus, I miss him already… What a great player, one of the very best to wear the famous Red shirt. And blessed by the best song the Kop ever sang! It was a pleasure to see him play.

    All the best of luck, Bobby! You truly are a Liverpool legend! YNWA

    Reply
  2. Jack Thompson
    Jack Thompson on 16 May 2023 at 7:52 pm

    Great compilation

    Reply
  3. PK
    PK on 18 May 2023 at 1:16 pm

    The Soldado moment (number 8)

    Pure. Unadulterated. Genius.

    Pure Bobby!

    Reply

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