Klopp's intimidating stare and touchline gesture that indicates Liverpool change

Liverpool learnt Fulham are ready to buck the trend this season. They're not prepared to be the Premier League's whipping boys for yet another campaign in the top flight; they're here to prove they can finally battle with the best of them.

And Liverpool are the best of them. Jurgen Klopp's marvellous Reds narrowly missed out on Premier League and Champions League glory last campaign while Fulham plotted a way back to the promised land.

In the Premier League opener between the two sides on Saturday you'd have seen Aleksandar Mitrovic breaking the deadlock before Fulham were pegged back after the break by Darwin Nunez on his Liverpool debut. You'd have also seen the Whites' Serbian supremo restoring the home side's advantage from the penalty spot and Mohamed Salah ensuring Klopp's men returned to Merseyside with at least something from their travels.

But here are two things you would have missed from Fulham's draw with Liverpool at Craven Cottage.

Jurgen Klopp's touchline gesture

If Liverpool were unsure what Fulham side they were going to be faced with going into this Saturday's early fixture then they were absolutely baffled after the first five minutes.

Fulham came out of the traps flying, swarming Liverpool in the same way Klopp's Reds bully teams up and down the country every week. Harrison Reed, Joao Palhinha and Andreas Pereira were at the heart of this push but even in defence, the likes of Tim Ream and Tosin Adarabioyo ensured the away side's attack couldn't get into its stride.

As a result, Liverpool's midfield struggled to dictate the play and Roberto Firmino found himself coming deeper and deeper to help kick-start something exciting, at times swapping places with Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara.

An injury to the latter five minutes into the second half, with Fulham leading 1-0, suggested Liverpool's day could get worse but it forced Klopp into a change that in many ways helped the Reds.

Harvey Elliott replaced the midfielder and immediately stretched Liverpool's midfield. This, coupled with Nunez replacing Firmino and forcing Fulham to play deeper, changed the dynamic of the game.

Unlike Firmino, who kept dropping deep, Nunez stayed up front and not only provided the Liverpool midfield with room to roam but enabled Trent Alexander-Arnold to get in on the act.

Klopp could even be seen encouraging Alexander-Arnold from the touchline with a hand gesture that not only suggested he should get forward and help the Reds find an equaliser but that he should move central too.

Much has been made of whether the England right-back would be better suited playing in the middle and should Klopp successfully filter Firmino out for Nunez then there will certainly be room for him to take up a number 10 role.

Jurgen Klopp's intimidating gaze

Back in 2020, former Brighton striker Glenn Murray exposed one of Klopp's secrets to the world in an interview with talkSPORT. He said: "Klopp does this thing before the game, I don't know if anyone's noticed it. So he'll walk right up to the halfway line and stand right on the spot and he'll just stare into the opposition half. It's really off-putting.

"He just stands on the halfway line and just watches the opposition warm up. It really throws you the first time it happens because you're like, 'What is he doing? He's not even looking at his own team, he's just watching us'. He won't break his view, he'll just keep watching the whole time."

Since Murray's comments emerged, fans on Twitter have been quick to point out Klopp's intimidating staredown before a game, and on Saturday the German ensured he's keeping the tradition going for this season.

Liverpool were out first to warm up at Craven Cottage before Fulham finally made their way onto the pitch. Up until that point Klopp had been staring at the Whites' goalkeepers but quickly averted his gaze to the players' tunnel.

With his arms crossed, Klopp glared at the Fulham team making its way onto the pitch and then proceeded to watch the players warm up in the corner between the Johnny Haynes and Hammersmith stands.

Whether other clubs are aware of what Klopp does or particularly care is anyone's guess, but it was interesting to see Fulham's number two Luis Boa Morte approach the Reds boss mid-stare and break his gaze.

The friendly Portuguese chatted away with the German for about five minutes, at which point it was time for Klopp to return to his side of the pitch and speak with his own coaches.