Liverpool’s late drama continues as Arne Slot’s side win four straight with last-gasp goals

Liverpool have won their opening four Premier League games this season with match-winning goals in the final stages, extending a club scoring run and prompting talk of an "Arne Time" that echoes the late-game habit long associated with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

The latest dramatic finish came at Turf Moor on Sunday, when Mohamed Salah converted a stoppage-time penalty after Burnley substitute Hannibal handled Jeremie Frimpong’s cross. The decision followed Lesley Ugochukwu’s red card in the 84th minute, leaving Scott Parker’s side with 10 men and within seconds of becoming the first team to take points off the champions this season.

Slot’s Liverpool have overturned or decided four matches in the closing minutes so far: they scored in the 88th minute and then again in the fourth minute of added time to beat Bournemouth 4-2 at Anfield after surrendering a 2-0 lead; teenager Rio Ngumoha netted a 100th-minute winner at Newcastle United; Dominik Szoboszlai struck a decisive free kick seven minutes from time to beat Arsenal; and Salah’s penalty sealed victory at Burnley in the dying seconds. The sequence makes Liverpool the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive matches with winning goals scored in the final 10 minutes or later.

The late winners also extended Liverpool’s club record of scoring in 38 consecutive top-flight matches. The club will attempt to equal Tottenham’s mark of 39 next weekend when they face Everton; Arsenal holds the all-time record of 55 consecutive scoring matches.

Slot praised Burnley’s defending after the game and acknowledged the element of fortune in Liverpool’s finish. "Compliments to Burnley for the way they defended. It was difficult for us to find an opening and a few times we were close," he said. "We had to wait until the end phase of the second half and in the final stages we got what we were hoping for. There is a chance it will fall in the way you want, but it was difficult because they had players behind the ball. We needed a moment of luck, or a moment of magic. We didn't have the magic but we had the luck. You are hoping and trying to make it more difficult, but they were strong."

Scott Parker was left devastated by the late reversal. His Burnley side had defended resolutely across the match and limited Liverpool chances, with goalkeeper James Trafford and defenders deployed behind the ball for large spells. Burnley had been reduced to 10 men when Ugochukwu was sent off after a challenge in the 84th minute; the dismissal forced Parker to reshuffle and defend deeper in the final minutes.

Liverpool manager Slot had indicated an emphasis on late-game finishing during the latter part of last season, saying in January he wanted his team to be better at "making a late goal winner." The statement has proved prescient as the club rely increasingly on late interventions while their starting performances this term have sometimes lacked fluency. The reliance on late goals also underlines Liverpool’s resilience and collective belief in closing out matches.

Slot left new signing Alexander Isak, the reported £125 million striker, on the bench at Burnley as he managed the player's match fitness ahead of Liverpool’s midweek Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid at Anfield. The decision reflected rotation priorities for a squad competing on multiple fronts.

Liverpool’s run of late winners highlights a psychological edge: opposing supporters and players have increasingly reacted audibly when additional time is shown, aware that the contest may not be over. The pattern recalls the era when Ferguson’s Manchester United repeatedly turned matches around in stoppage time, a phenomenon long referred to as "Fergie Time." Analysts and opponents have begun using the moniker "Arne Time" to describe Liverpool’s recent habit of late finishes.

While the late results have brought maximum points, they also suggest Liverpool have not yet reached peak form this season — a point Slot acknowledged indirectly by praising opponents and citing the need for moments of luck or magic. For rivals, the combination of skill, character and an apparent knack for late goals makes the champions a daunting proposition despite occasional uneven performances.

Liverpool now prepare for their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid and a Premier League home fixture against Everton, where they will attempt to maintain their perfect start and extend their scoring run. Burnley, meanwhile, must regroup after a result that saw a well-structured performance undone in the final seconds.