Roberto Firmino proves he's Liverpool's man for the big occasion, with or without scoring goals

The Brazilian was on hand to score the Reds winner against Crystal Palace
Ref:Liverpool.com

Roberto Firmino celebrates his winner (Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Roberto Firmino had been uncharacteristically quiet since September following a stellar start to the season with six goals and assists in the first six Premier League games.

For all of October and the majority of November, the Brazilian has been unable to find the back of the net or assist a teammate in the top-flight.

It’s fair to say that he has failed to cash in on a handful of big chances throughout the past few months, but it’s not that he hasn’t been a vital part of Liverpool’s success. He just hadn’t been shining in the analytics or highlight reels recently.

Until Saturday, that is.

Firmino broke his scorecard slump at Selhurst Park when it was critically important to the team. The Reds were just a few minutes away from facing their second draw of the season, and would have been their second time points were dropped after the international break.

Firmino waited patiently just outside the goal box as the ball ricocheted around following a corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold. The ball trickled out to his foot for him to calmly find the right corner of the net through traffic for what turned out to be another last-gasp winner.

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• This is the type of goal that makes all of the difference for a Liverpool team chasing its first league trophy in three decades.

In 2014, the Reds were leading at Selhurst before squandering their three goal lead in the final 11 minutes to draw 3-3. They went on to lose the league title by two points to Manchester City.

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino salutes the fans after the final whistle of the Premier League match at Selhurst Park

That is the difference between winning and drawing when the battle for the top could end up being a matter of a single point, and that is what makes players such as Firmino absolutely vital to Liverpool being able to retain their place at the top of the standings with the following teams in close pursuit.

And this isn’t his first time making it happen when it really mattered. Way back in August, Firmino scored on a Sadio Mané assist in the 71st minute to extend a Liverpool lead to 2-0l at Southampton. That goal was ultimately the game-winner, with Danny Ings pulling one back for the hosts in the 83rd minute

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A month later, Liverpool was in a similar position against Chelsea, up 1-nil in the first half when Firmino pulled off an excellent leaping header off a set kick from Andrew Robertson. This was yet another eventual game-winner for the Brazilian forward as N’Golo Kanté cut the lead in the second half.

And now at Crystal Palace, another game-winner, breaking the tie in favor of the Reds.

Though the other examples may not have felt as dramatic at Saturday’s finish on the road, they are all equally important. These goals are the difference between grabbing nine points on the league table, or just three.