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Liverpool reached the Champions League final in what was a progressive season for Jurgen Klopp's men. They had adversity thrown at them throughout the season but dealt with it pretty well. Some long-standing squad issues were solved, while some remain to be solved.
Klopp's project is nowhere near complete, but the Reds are on the right track. They improved a lot in the transfer market as well. All signings are now Klopp's signings. The Liverpool manager finally has some actual financial backing from the owners while making transfers.
The £37 million signing of Mohamed Salah from Roma proved to be a steal, while Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both had good first seasons at Anfield. Liverpool also secured the signature of Naby Keita from the next season, but the major issue which remained unsolved in the summer was the lack of a new centre-back.
Liverpool had allegedly tapped up Virgil van Dijk and it was reported by Southampton. Their interest in the player cooled off for the time being, but not completely. Another murky happening was Phillipe Coutinho wanting a move away from Anfield to Barcelona. It was a challenging pre-season for the Reds, but they powered through it a better side.
Here is part one of a look back to the Reds' season, starting from August to October.
August
Liverpool started the season without Coutinho, who was nursing an apparent back injury. His creativity was not really missed in the opening month as the Reds scored 14 goals in 5 games.
An opening day victory against Watford was prevented by some terrible set-piece defending and questionable goalkeeping. The 3-3 scoreline swiftly demonstrated the two different sides of Liverpool.
The European journey started in the play-off round against Hoffenheim. There was no problem as the Reds went through 6-3 on aggregate. The two games against the Germans were sandwiched by a scrappy 1-0 against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool turned on the style for their last match in August as they faced Arsenal at Anfield. A thumping 4-0 win was compounded by excellent strikes from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who was already settling in nicely at the club.
September
After the first international break of the season, Liverpool visited the Etihad Stadium to face a rampant Manchester City. An early red card for Mane led to Manchester City blowing the Reds away in a crushing 5-0 scoreline. This marked the start of an extremely troubled run for Mane throughout the rest of 2017.
Liverpool attempted to bounce back several times throughout September but only won one game between the two international breaks. A 1-1 draw at home to Burnley was especially frustrating, while back-to-back draws in the Champions League, against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow, looked to put the Reds in a dicey position in Europe.
Leicester City dumped the Reds out of the League Cup in the third round, but Liverpool gained some face when they beat the same opponents 3-2 in the league, a few days later. Some shocking defending along with poor finishing led to Liverpool being stuck in a drab mid-table position at the end of September.
October
After another 1-1 draw in the league against Newcastle United, the Reds welcomed Manchester United to Anfield after the international break. Again, Liverpool couldn't find a way to win. However, the next Champions League game saw the Reds take all their chances.
A 7-0 win at Maribor meant that Liverpool had broken the record for the biggest ever Champions League away victory, but they continued to struggle in the league. A defensive disaster from Dejan Lovren gifted Tottenham Hotspur a huge 4-1 win at Wembley.
Liverpool quickly rebounded from the terrible month and a half with a solid 3-0 win against Huddersfield Town. As Liverpool marched into November, their worst run of the season was seemingly behind them. Hope was restored, and they could rebuild and challenge for a top-four spot.
Stay tuned for the next part of Liverpool's 2017-18 season review!
