The celebration had barely settled when Southampton restarted the match.
Azim returned to his position near the centre circle, the roar of Anfield still echoing in his ears. His 2nd goal had been greeted with an even greater eruption than the 1st, and the memory of the ball disappearing into the top-left corner remained vivid enough to bring a faint smile to his face.
He suppressed it.
The scoreboard read Liverpool 2, Southampton 0.
There were still more than 20 minutes before half-time, and Southampton were unlikely to accept the situation without a response.
Pellè tapped the ball backwards. Fonte received it, passed towards Van Dijk, and the Dutch defender glanced up before looking for Cédric on the right.
Azim began his press.
He approached from Van Dijk's left shoulder, curving his run so that Clasie disappeared behind his cover shadow. Cédric remained available, but Coutinho was already moving across to narrow the route forward. Lallana had stepped towards Clasie, while Lucas adjusted his position to guard the space in front of the centre-backs.
Van Dijk saw the arrangement.
He played backwards to Stekelenburg.
The goalkeeper took a touch before passing towards Bertrand on the opposite side. Moreno advanced to meet the left-back, and Southampton were forced to return the ball towards their defensive line.
Liverpool had not won possession, but their press had achieved its immediate objective. Southampton had been pushed away from the centre and denied the opportunity to build forward at their preferred tempo.
"Good!" Milner shouted. "Stay together!"
Azim turned and moved back towards the central channel.
Van Dijk followed him with his eyes.
The defender was no longer smiling.
That pleased Azim more than it should have.
During the opening 22 minutes, Southampton's centre-backs had attempted to control his movement through position and timing. Now they had something else to consider. They had seen him defeat Fonte, send Van Dijk to the grass and round Stekelenburg before rolling the ball into an empty net. They had watched him collect a loose ball and score from 40 metres with a strike that had left their goalkeeper scrambling backwards.
They could no longer afford to treat him as an unfamiliar young forward who might eventually make a mistake.
He had already punished them twice.
And the match was nowhere near finished.
"That is a remarkable start for the young Liverpool forward," the first commentator said as the broadcast showed another replay of Azim's long-range strike. "Two goals, both extraordinary, and he has completely changed the atmosphere inside Anfield."
"Remember the wider context here," his colleague replied. "Liverpool had struggled to find consistent goals before this match. They had managed only 9 goals in their opening 9 league fixtures, and this is Jürgen Klopp's first home Premier League match in charge. For Liverpool supporters, seeing their side score twice in this manner is quite something."
"And Southampton have not arrived as an easy opponent. They have been difficult to beat away from home this season. Ronald Koeman has built a well-organised side, but they have been caught by 2 moments of exceptional quality."
The camera showed Koeman near the technical area.
He was not watching the replay.
He was studying the players preparing for the restart.
The Southampton manager gestured towards Wanyama and Clasie, then pointed at Azim. He wanted his midfielders to remain connected to the centre-backs, preventing the Liverpool forward from receiving the ball in space and turning towards goal.
Van Dijk was already doing his part.
Whenever Azim moved towards Lucas, the centre-back adjusted his position. When Azim drifted into the left channel, Van Dijk shifted across. Even when the ball travelled to the opposite side of the pitch, the defender kept the forward within his peripheral vision.
It was beginning to resemble the attention given to Lionel Messi when opponents dedicated an entire defensive plan to restricting his influence.
Azim could feel it.
Every movement attracted a response. Every attempt to find a pocket of space was followed by a defender adjusting his position. He could not simply drop between the lines, receive the ball and turn without somebody arriving to contest him.
It was as though Southampton had decided that the only way to survive the afternoon was to make sure #36 never enjoyed a quiet moment.
The irony was that Van Dijk's attention was beginning to affect the rest of the defensive structure.
When the centre-back moved forward to monitor Azim, Fonte had to adjust behind him. When Van Dijk followed the forward towards the left, Southampton's midfield shifted in the same direction to protect the space he had vacated.
The movement was subtle.
But football was often decided by subtle differences in position.
Azim intended to make Southampton pay for every unnecessary step.
At 23 minutes, Moreno received the ball near the left touchline after Liverpool had circulated possession through Lucas and Can.
Coutinho moved inside to offer a passing option.
Moreno played towards him, and the Brazilian controlled the ball before turning towards the penalty area.
Cédric approached cautiously.
He had watched Coutinho cut inside and strike during the opening minutes, and he was reluctant to allow the same movement to happen again.
Coutinho took a small touch towards the centre.
Cédric followed.
The Brazilian looked up and struck from a difficult angle and long range.
The ball climbed above the crossbar.
Anfield responded with a mixture of applause and groans.
Coutinho turned away, shaking his head.
"Too much," he muttered.
Azim was already moving towards the centre circle, preparing for the possibility that Stekelenburg would distribute quickly.
The goalkeeper collected the ball and looked towards Van Dijk.
Azim immediately adjusted his approach.
He did not sprint directly towards the centre-back. Instead, he moved along a diagonal that obstructed the pass into Clasie while encouraging Van Dijk to play towards the right flank.
Van Dijk recognised the angle and passed to Cédric.
Coutinho sprinted across to close the full-back.
Cédric attempted to return the ball to Van Dijk, but Azim changed direction and blocked the passing lane towards the centre.
For a moment, Southampton had no comfortable option.
"Back!" Wanyama shouted.
Cédric passed backwards.
Stekelenburg received the ball, took a touch and attempted to play towards Fonte.
Lallana anticipated the pass and advanced.
Fonte was forced to hurry his first touch, and the ball moved slightly farther away from his foot than he intended.
Azim accelerated.
He approached from Fonte's blind side, the angle making it difficult for the defender to turn towards him without exposing the ball. Fonte attempted to shield possession, but Azim used his shoulder to maintain the line between the defender and the passing route.
Then he reached in with his right foot.
Clean contact.
The ball rolled towards Lucas.
Southampton's passing sequence had ended with a turnover in their own half.
Azim immediately looked towards goal.
Coutinho was moving into the left channel, while Lallana had begun a run between the centre-backs. Milner was arriving outside the penalty area.
Lucas passed forward.
Azim received the ball near the edge of the attacking third, but Wanyama had already stepped across to challenge him. Van Dijk moved closer from behind, and Fonte remained in a position to cover the central route.
The space was closing.
Azim could attempt to turn, but the risk of losing possession was high.
Instead, he cushioned the ball back towards Milner.
The captain took a touch and attempted to release Lallana through the channel.
Van Dijk intercepted the pass.
Southampton cleared.
The chance had ended without a shot, but Azim had once again helped turn a defensive sequence into an attacking opportunity.
Milner pointed towards him as they retreated.
"Good work. Keep choosing the right moment."
Azim nodded.
He was beginning to understand that the press did not have to end with him winning the ball personally.
Sometimes the best result was forcing an opponent into a pass that a teammate could intercept. Sometimes it was making the receiver turn backwards, allowing Liverpool's midfield to advance. And sometimes it was simply preventing the opponent from playing forward until the defensive structure could recover.
The goal was not to make every action spectacular.
It was to make Southampton's decisions progressively worse.
Southampton began to find their way around the press by using the space behind Liverpool's advancing midfield.
At 25 minutes, Clasie received from Fonte with his body already open towards the right. He took a touch away from Azim and passed towards Cédric before the forward could close the angle.
Cédric moved the ball towards Tadić.
The winger controlled it near the touchline and immediately passed inside to Davis, who had drifted into the space behind Lucas.
Davis turned.
Lucas moved towards him, but Mané was already accelerating along the opposite channel. The movement forced Lucas to divide his attention between the ball and the runner.
Davis saw the opening.
He attempted a pass towards Pellè.
Sakho stepped forward and blocked it.
The ball deflected towards Can, who collected possession and looked for an immediate forward pass.
Azim began his run.
Van Dijk moved with him.
The defender was close enough to challenge if the pass arrived, but he could not prevent Azim from changing direction towards the left side of the pitch.
Can passed towards Coutinho.
The Brazilian received and carried the ball forward before looking for a shooting opportunity. Southampton's midfield had recovered in time to close the central channel, forcing him towards the edge of the penalty area.
Coutinho attempted to cut inside.
Cédric blocked the route.
The ball rolled towards Milner, who collected it outside the box and looked towards goal.
He struck with his right foot.
The shot travelled through a crowd of players, but Fonte stepped across and blocked it before it could reach Stekelenburg.
"Clear it!" Van Dijk shouted.
Wanyama moved towards the loose ball, using his strength to shield it from Lallana.
Azim saw the midfielder's first touch move away from his body.
He accelerated towards him.
Wanyama turned, trying to protect possession, but Azim approached from the side rather than attempting to overpower him. The forward waited until Wanyama shifted his weight onto his left foot before extending his right leg to poke the ball away.
The tackle was clean.
The ball travelled towards Lucas.
"Got it!" Lucas called.
He collected the loose ball and immediately passed towards Can, who moved it into the opposite half.
Southampton's attack had ended, and Liverpool were already beginning another.
Wanyama looked towards Azim.
"You don't stop, do you?"
Azim jogged backwards.
"Neither do you."
Wanyama gave him a humourless smile.
"You're going to make a mistake eventually."
"Then you'd better be ready."
The midfielder muttered something under his breath before returning to his position.
Azim did not chase him.
He had already won possession and helped Liverpool regain control. There was no reason to waste energy trying to win a verbal exchange as well.
Still, the thought lingered.
Van Dijk was following him almost everywhere. Wanyama was stepping out whenever he dropped towards the ball, while Clasie was waiting behind to collect any loose possession.
For the last several minutes, it had felt as though Southampton were playing with an additional defender assigned exclusively to him.
He could understand the strategy.
He simply had to learn how to exploit it.
At 27 minutes, Southampton came close to creating a dangerous opportunity.
Fonte received the ball from Stekelenburg and moved it towards Clasie. The midfielder played backwards under pressure from Azim, who had curved his run to block the pass into Wanyama.
Van Dijk stepped forward to receive.
Azim immediately changed direction, forcing the centre-back to release the ball before he could settle himself.
Van Dijk passed towards Bertrand.
The left-back found Davis, who had dropped into a pocket behind Lucas.
Davis looked up.
Pellè had moved towards the right side of the penalty area, occupying Sakho and attempting to create space for Mané's run from the opposite flank.
Davis played a through ball towards the left channel.
Mané accelerated.
For an instant, Liverpool's defensive line appeared vulnerable.
The winger had the pace to reach the ball, and Clyne was positioned too far inside to challenge him immediately. Mané continued his run, but Sakho stepped forward at the correct moment.
The assistant referee's flag rose.
"Offside, Southampton!"
Mané stopped and turned towards Davis.
"Earlier!"
Davis spread his arms.
"You were already running!"
"Then see me sooner!"
Marriner blew his whistle and pointed towards Liverpool's defensive half.
Azim jogged towards the centre circle, watching the exchange.
The movement had been dangerous because Southampton had finally found a way to attack the space behind Liverpool's full-backs. If the pass had arrived at the right moment, Mané might have been through on goal.
Liverpool could not simply continue pressing higher and assume that the opposition would always make mistakes.
Their defensive line had to remain connected, and the midfielders needed to recognise when the press had been bypassed.
Milner called towards Lucas.
"Don't let Davis turn so easily!"
Lucas acknowledged him.
Azim approached as they moved back into position.
"He wants that pass again," the forward said. "If Clasie gets time to look up, Davis will drop behind you and Mané will run across Clyne."
Lucas nodded.
"Then we stop Clasie."
"And if he gets past us?"
"Then Can covers."
Milner pointed towards both midfielders.
"Exactly. Talk to each other. Don't leave it until the ball is already gone."
Azim looked towards Southampton's defensive line.
Van Dijk was watching him.
Again.
The defender had barely looked away since the 1st goal.
Azim gave him a small smile.
Van Dijk did not return it.
The following minutes brought Liverpool close to a 3rd goal.
At 28 minutes, Coutinho received the ball outside Southampton's penalty area and shifted it onto his right foot.
Wanyama moved towards him.
Coutinho took a touch to create space and struck towards the far side.
Fonte stepped across and blocked the shot.
The ball rolled towards Milner, who collected it near the edge of the box.
Lallana moved into the space between Clasie and Wanyama, asking for the pass.
Milner played towards him.
Lallana turned and immediately returned the ball into the centre.
Azim had begun moving towards the penalty spot, expecting the pass to arrive in front of him.
Van Dijk followed.
The centre-back reached the ball first and cleared it towards the halfway line.
Azim turned and chased.
For a moment, it seemed as though he might recover possession, but Van Dijk's clearance travelled beyond him and reached Clasie.
The midfielder controlled it and turned towards the opposite half.
Azim reacted immediately, pressing from behind and forcing Clasie to move the ball before he could look up.
Clasie passed towards Wanyama.
Lucas stepped across.
The ball deflected away.
Can moved towards it, recovered possession and passed into Milner.
Liverpool attacked again.
Milner carried the ball towards the penalty area before attempting a shot from outside the box.
The effort passed narrowly to the right of Stekelenburg's goal.
Milner stopped and put his hands on his hips.
"Ah, come on!"
Lallana approached him.
"That was close."
Milner looked towards him.
"Close doesn't count."
Azim jogged past them.
"Neither does complaining."
Milner turned his head.
"You're getting very comfortable talking to your captain."
Azim grinned.
"Is that a problem?"
"Not while we're winning."
The brief exchange brought a smile to Milner's face, but the captain's attention returned quickly to Southampton's defensive shape.
Liverpool were creating opportunities, yet the final pass or shot was not always precise enough to turn their possession into another goal.
The 2-0 scoreline gave them freedom to attack.
It did not remove the need for discipline.
Southampton continued to target Mané whenever the winger found space behind Clyne.
At 31 minutes, Liverpool worked possession through Lucas and Can, with Milner moving towards the centre to offer a passing option.
Azim dropped towards the ball.
Van Dijk followed him.
The forward turned his head to check the defender's position, then moved away again before Lucas could play the pass.
Van Dijk tracked him.
Azim looked towards Lallana.
The attacking midfielder had drifted into the space that Van Dijk had vacated.
Lucas saw it and played forward.
Lallana received, turned and attempted to feed Milner near the edge of the penalty area.
Fonte stepped across and blocked the passing lane.
The ball deflected towards Wanyama.
Southampton tried to break immediately.
Wanyama played towards Clasie, who attempted to move the ball into Davis.
Azim recognised the pass and accelerated towards the central channel.
He did not approach Clasie directly. His angle forced the midfielder to look towards the touchline while making the forward pass into Davis difficult.
Clasie tried it anyway.
Azim stretched out his right leg.
The ball struck his boot and changed direction.
Lucas recovered it.
"Good!" Milner shouted. "Again!"
Liverpool returned the ball to the attacking third, where Coutinho attempted to carry it past Cédric.
The full-back blocked the route.
The ball rolled towards Milner, whose shot was blocked by Fonte.
Southampton cleared towards the halfway line.
Azim began his recovery run.
Mané was already moving into the space behind Liverpool's midfield, looking for a pass that would allow him to turn and attack.
Lucas attempted to close him down.
Mané changed direction and moved past the Brazilian's shoulder.
Lucas reached out a leg and brought him down.
Marriner's whistle sounded.
"Free-kick, Southampton!"
Mané got to his feet immediately.
"That's a foul!"
Lucas spread his arms.
"I was going for the ball!"
"You got me instead!"
Marriner pointed towards the place where the challenge had occurred.
"Enough. Take the free-kick from there."
Azim approached from the side.
"Good run," he told Mané.
The winger looked at him.
"Don't patronise me."
"I'm not. You found the space. Keep doing that."
Mané studied him for a moment before looking away.
The remark had not been intended as an insult.
Azim respected the danger the winger posed. Mané's acceleration could turn a seemingly harmless possession into a serious threat if Liverpool allowed him to receive facing goal.
The free-kick gave Southampton an opportunity to deliver the ball into the penalty area.
Davis placed it on the grass.
Pellè moved towards the near side, while Fonte and Van Dijk took positions inside the box.
Milner immediately organised Liverpool's defence.
"Sakho, stay with Pellè! Martin, watch Van Dijk! Clyne, pick up the runner!"
Azim moved towards the edge of the penalty area, ready to defend the second ball.
Davis delivered.
The cross travelled towards the far side.
Van Dijk broke away from his marker and rose above the nearest defender, directing a powerful header towards the top-right corner.
Mignolet reacted quickly.
He moved across his goal and pushed the ball away with both hands.
The save sent it behind for a corner.
"Great save!" Skrtel shouted.
Mignolet landed on his side, pushed himself up and immediately began organising his defenders.
"Near post! Pick them up! Don't let them get a free header!"
Azim moved closer to the edge of the box.
He watched Southampton's players rather than the ball. Fonte was moving towards the near post, Pellè was occupying the centre-backs, and Van Dijk was preparing to attack the next delivery.
Davis placed the ball in the corner arc.
The cross came in.
Lucas moved towards the near-post zone, but the ball travelled deeper than expected. Fonte tried to make contact, only for Sakho to put enough pressure on him to prevent a clean header.
The ball dropped into the 6-yard area.
Mignolet stepped forward and caught it.
"Keeper's!"
The goalkeeper fell to the turf, holding the ball against his chest while Liverpool's defenders moved away.
The immediate danger was over.
Azim had already begun running towards the halfway line.
Southampton had created a genuine chance, but Liverpool's goalkeeper had kept the score unchanged.
The next attack would be an opportunity to punish them for committing so many players forward.
Mignolet distributed towards Clyne, who found Can near the right side of midfield.
Can took a touch and passed towards Milner.
The captain moved the ball into Lallana, who had dropped into a central pocket.
Van Dijk stepped forward.
He was close enough to prevent Azim from receiving comfortably, and he had enough space behind him to recover if the forward attempted to turn.
Azim glanced over his shoulder.
The defender was there.
Again.
He almost laughed.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered.
Lallana heard him.
"What is?"
"He follows me everywhere."
"That is what centre-backs do."
"Not like this."
Lallana glanced at Van Dijk.
The Dutchman had shifted with Azim, maintaining a distance that made it difficult for the forward to receive between the lines.
Lallana smiled.
"Feels like you're getting the Messi treatment."
Azim looked at him.
"Finally. Someone understands."
Lallana laughed.
"Try not to tell the press that. They'll have a field day."
The conversation ended when Lallana received Milner's pass.
He controlled the ball and turned away from Wanyama, attempting to play through the space behind the midfield.
Van Dijk intercepted the pass.
Southampton recovered possession.
Azim turned and began pressing immediately.
He approached Van Dijk from an angle that blocked the direct pass towards Clasie. Coutinho moved across to close Cédric, while Lallana stepped towards the midfield pivot.
Van Dijk looked up.
The easy pass was gone.
He played backwards to Stekelenburg.
The goalkeeper cleared long towards Pellè.
Sakho won the aerial challenge.
Can collected the second ball.
Liverpool had recovered possession without allowing Southampton to advance.
Milner clapped his hands.
"Good recovery! Stay connected!"
Azim returned to his position.
The repeated movements were beginning to wear on him. He could feel the effort in his legs and the strain of changing direction every few seconds. His endurance helped him recover quickly, but even that did not make the work effortless.
He could not sprint towards every defender.
He had to choose the moments that mattered.
More importantly, he had to recognise that Van Dijk's persistent marking was not something he could solve through physical effort alone.
The defender wanted him to fight the same battle repeatedly.
If Azim continued trying to turn against him every time he received the ball, Southampton would eventually win possession in a dangerous area.
He needed to make Van Dijk's attention useful.
And he needed his teammates to recognise the space that attention created.
At 34 minutes, Liverpool were building another attack through the centre.
Lucas passed to Can, who moved the ball towards Milner. The captain carried it forward before attempting to find Lallana between the lines.
Lallana received with his back to goal.
Wanyama approached from behind.
Van Dijk moved closer to protect the space ahead.
Azim had drifted towards the left channel, drawing the centre-back's attention away from the middle.
Lallana turned and attempted to play the ball towards Coutinho.
Fonte intercepted it.
The defender cleared towards Wanyama, who attempted to carry the ball forward.
Milner moved across and challenged him.
The Liverpool captain arrived a fraction late, catching the Southampton midfielder's leg as he tried to reach the ball.
Marriner's whistle sounded.
"Free-kick, Southampton!"
Milner immediately raised his hands.
"I was going for the ball!"
Wanyama got to his feet and pointed towards Milner.
"You were going through me!"
Marriner walked towards them.
"That's enough. James, watch the challenge. Victor, get on with it."
Milner nodded and stepped away.
Wanyama positioned the ball for the restart.
Koeman shouted towards his players.
"Move it quickly! Don't give them time to organise!"
Southampton attempted to build through the right side, with Cédric receiving a short pass from Clasie before looking towards Tadić.
The winger tried to turn towards goal.
Moreno stepped forward and blocked his route.
Tadić passed backwards.
Azim began moving towards the centre-back, preventing Southampton from returning the ball comfortably through the middle.
Fonte attempted a pass towards Davis.
Lucas stepped across and intercepted it.
Liverpool recovered possession again.
The sequence was becoming familiar.
Southampton were able to advance occasionally, but their attempts to play through the centre were repeatedly interrupted by Azim's movement and the supporting positions of Liverpool's midfield.
They could use the flanks.
They could play long towards Pellè.
They could attempt early passes behind the defensive line.
But every option carried a risk.
And every failed attempt created an opportunity for Liverpool to counterattack.
Koeman looked towards the pitch with growing frustration.
The visitors needed to score before half-time.
At the same time, they could not afford to concede another goal.
That was the problem with chasing a match against an opponent who was already 2 goals ahead.
The urgency itself could become a weakness.
Azim felt the change in Southampton's behaviour before he fully understood what had caused it.
Their passes were becoming more direct.
Their defenders were taking fewer touches.
Wanyama was stepping forward more aggressively whenever Liverpool attempted to build through midfield.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, continued following Azim.
The centre-back had become so focused on preventing the forward from turning that he was beginning to react to movements that did not always threaten possession.
Azim decided to test the arrangement.
He moved towards Lucas.
Van Dijk followed.
Azim stopped.
The defender stopped with him.
Then Azim accelerated towards the left channel.
Van Dijk moved across.
Azim suddenly changed direction and returned towards the centre circle.
Van Dijk hesitated.
The pause lasted barely a second, but it was enough for Azim to create a little distance between them.
Lucas saw the movement and played a short pass forward.
Azim received it.
For the first time in several minutes, he had enough space to turn.
He shifted the ball onto his right foot and faced Southampton's defensive line.
Wanyama immediately approached.
Van Dijk recovered towards him.
Fonte moved across to cover.
Azim saw the defenders closing and did not attempt to force his way through them.
He passed towards Milner, who had moved into space outside the penalty area.
Milner played the ball first time towards Lallana, who was beginning a run into the channel.
The pass was slightly overhit.
Lallana chased it, but Van Dijk recovered in time to reach the ball first.
The centre-back cleared towards the touchline.
Azim looked towards Lallana.
"Sorry. Should've played it earlier."
Lallana shook his head.
"That wasn't your fault. I started the run too soon."
Azim nodded.
It was important to recognise the difference.
A pass could be correctly intended but poorly weighted. A run could be intelligent but mistimed. An opponent could make a good recovery without the attacker having made a bad decision.
Not every failed attack required somebody to be blamed.
What mattered was understanding why it had failed.
Azim looked towards Van Dijk.
The defender was still following him.
But the forward had learned something from the sequence.
He could create space by moving away from the ball, then returning at the moment the defender hesitated. He did not need to win the duel through strength or an elaborate dribble. He simply needed to make the defender's decision difficult enough to open another passing option.
It was a small improvement.
For Azim, it felt significant.
The opportunity arrived in the 36th minute.
Liverpool had worked possession from the right towards the centre, with Can finding Milner near the edge of Southampton's defensive block.
Milner passed towards Coutinho, who had moved inside from the left.
Coutinho controlled the ball under pressure from Cédric and attempted to play a return pass towards Moreno.
Bertrand stepped across and intercepted it.
Southampton tried to break quickly.
Bertrand passed towards Clasie, who moved the ball into Wanyama.
The midfielder turned and looked for Davis.
Azim began pressing from the centre, taking an angle that blocked the direct route into the attacking midfielder while encouraging Wanyama to play towards the touchline.
Wanyama attempted the pass anyway.
Lucas stepped across and challenged.
The ball deflected towards Milner, who collected it and immediately turned towards the opposite half.
Liverpool had recovered possession.
Milner passed towards Lallana.
The attacking midfielder controlled the ball and moved into the right half-space, where he had enough room to turn towards the penalty area.
Van Dijk was already close to Azim.
The centre-back had been following the forward for almost the entire match, refusing to allow him the freedom to receive and turn. Azim could feel the defender's presence whenever he moved through the central channel.
It was becoming oppressive.
He had spent much of the match trying to create space for himself, only to find Van Dijk occupying the same patch of grass.
For the first time, he understood how an elite forward might feel when an opponent devoted an entire defensive plan to stopping him.
There was no quiet moment.
No easy reception.
No opportunity to turn without somebody arriving to challenge.
It felt like the Messi treatment, except Azim had to find a way to deal with it in real time.
He glanced towards Lallana.
The midfielder was approaching the edge of the penalty area, with his body angled towards the centre.
Azim moved away from Van Dijk.
The defender followed.
Azim stopped and turned back towards the ball.
Van Dijk adjusted again.
That was when Azim changed his mind.
He did not drop towards Lallana.
Instead, he moved towards the penalty area, then abruptly checked his run and drifted into the space just outside the central channel.
Van Dijk followed, expecting the forward to offer a target for a direct pass.
Lallana looked up.
Their eyes met.
Azim raised his right hand slightly.
It was a small signal, almost invisible amid the movement of the players.
Lallana understood.
He delayed his pass, allowing Van Dijk to take another step towards Azim.
Then he played the ball into the forward's feet.
Azim received with his back to goal.
Van Dijk was immediately behind him.
The defender's body was close enough to prevent a comfortable turn, and Wanyama was approaching from the side.
Azim could not simply shield the ball and wait.
He needed to release it before the pressure arrived.
Lallana had already begun his run.
He accelerated into the channel between Van Dijk and Fonte, looking to get beyond the defensive line before the centre-backs could react.
Azim saw him.
He also saw Van Dijk's weight shift towards his left foot as the defender prepared to challenge.
The next movement happened almost instinctively.
Azim lifted his right foot and flicked the ball over Van Dijk's head with a delicate first-time touch.
The ball rose above the defender's shoulder, carrying into the space behind him.
Van Dijk turned.
For a moment, he seemed unable to believe what had happened.
Azim had not tried to wrestle possession away from him.
He had not attempted another body feint.
He had used the defender's own position to play the ball into the space Van Dijk had abandoned.
The pass was perfect.
Lallana accelerated towards it.
He had a clear route into the penalty area, with Stekelenburg beginning to move towards the near post.
Anfield rose in anticipation.
"That's brilliant from Azim!" the commentator shouted. "What a touch! He has taken Van Dijk out of the game with a single movement!"
Van Dijk reacted immediately.
He turned and sprinted after Lallana, who had taken the ball forward with his next touch.
The Liverpool midfielder was approaching the edge of the box when Van Dijk caught up with him.
Lallana attempted to shift the ball towards his right foot.
Van Dijk stretched out a leg.
The challenge arrived late.
His boot caught Lallana's ankle as the midfielder tried to move beyond him, sending Lallana stumbling forward.
The ball rolled away.
Lallana fell near the edge of the penalty area.
The whistle sounded.