Having won the Community Shield and after another week of training, Liverpool finally stepped into the real business of the Premier League.
The curtain-raiser at Anfield was set for a Friday night. Newly promoted Norwich City were the visitors, a side full of energy and optimism. They had fought their way up from the Championship, fearless under Daniel Farke, and promised to attack no matter the opponent. But this was Anfield. And it was opening night.
The Kop was alive long before kickoff. Scarves stretched high above heads, banners rippled across the stands, and the sound of You'll Never Walk Alone rolled like thunder through the stadium. Floodlights glared down on the perfect grass, a stage waiting for the first act of a long season.
