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When Marcos Llorente scored to equalize for the Spanish side at Anfield, the visiting squad flooded onto the field to rejoice.

It seemed understandable—with under 10 minutes remaining, having weathered a flurry of missed chances as second best.

But this is Arne Slot’s squad, who have built a reputation of delivering last-gasp deciding goals.

When captain Virgil van Dijk powered in a decisive goal to snatch a 3-2 win, it seemed as inevitable as it was thrilling for home fans.

Just How Impressive Is Liverpool's Stoppage-Time Run?

Liverpool notched last-minute winners in each of their competitive matches this season:

• 4-2 v Bournemouth – Federico Chiesa late and Salah deep into added time
• 3-2 against Newcastle – Rio Ngumoha in the 100th minute
• 1-0 against Arsenal – Dominik Szoboszlai 83'
• 1-0 v Burnley – Salah from the spot late on
• 3-2 against Atletico Madrid – Van Dijk in stoppage time

As a result, the mean minute for their decisive strikes this season is after the 91st minute.

Last season, the typical time for a winning goal in single-goal victories was 70 minutes.

The streak of last-minute goals marks a clear shift from last season, when Liverpool scored only 4 stoppage-time goals in all matches across all competitions.

They did score 13 goals past the 80-minute mark in the league—yet four teams managed more.

None of Liverpool rivals score last-gasp winners at nearly the comparable rate.

Among the remaining English sides in the Champions League, the Gunners have the second-highest frequency of winning goals after the 80-minute mark—however it required 64 games spanning 16 months to equal what Liverpool done in just 5 fixtures.

And, Liverpool flurry of stoppage-time winners is already the longest in Premier League history.

Is There A Secret Formula With Slot?

Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer, points to self-belief and physical condition as key factors for the team's run.

"There will be games where we lead 2-0 quickly, then add a third and won't need stoppage time," he said. "Other times occasions where we require a last-minute strike and won't get it. But the mindset is to always press. Plus about how fit and how well prepared we are to push one more time."

Slot now among the managers with the best rate of late victories in English the archives.

Manchester United under Ferguson were widely regarded as the masters of the dramatic finish.

Unsurprisingly, Ferguson holds the record for the highest number of decisive goals netted past the 81st minute, although Arsene Wenger is not far behind.

Yet including his squad only managed a maximum streak of 2 consecutive Premier League games with winners scored past the 80th minute—doing so 4 occasions.

The manager has also extended the club's lead at the summit of the table for Premier League teams with the most winners in the dying moments.

The Reds now 47, followed by the Gunners on thirty-four and Manchester United on 33.

Why Are Liverpool Netting So Often Late So Often?

The Reds's late wins so far have come about under diverse circumstances.

Against Bournemouth and Atletico, they had been clearly dominant and built a 2-0 lead, before throwing away soft goals and finally rectifying the scoreline by applying intensity.

At a reduced Newcastle, they too surrendered a two-goal advantage—but their decisive goal came against the run of play.

And, against Arsenal and Burnley, they found it hard to generate quality chances and eventually succeeded via dead-ball situations.

Thus, there exists no single blueprint for the way they are earning these victories.

But, looking at the manner of the goals may offer a degree of insight.

Liverpool's squad has been significantly overhauled after Klopp initiated a midfield overhaul in the summer of 2023. Just 9 players of the first-team squad from 2022-23 are still present.

The revitalized unit is led by a core group of senior players who claimed all available honor with the former boss—the goalkeeper, the captain, Robertson, and Salah.

Salah of those has generated the highest contributions for this season's late winners—scoring twice and setting up one.

In fact, although the mean age of Liverpool squad being 26.2, over 50% of late-goal involvements have come from players of age 32.5 or above.

The average age for each contribution among those who have scored or assisted Liverpool late goals is 28.9—though it would be significantly higher (30.4) without 17-year-old Ngumoha.

Be it Slot or the players, it is mostly the club's wisest minds that are making the difference in the decisive moments.