Every Liverpool supporter at Anfield applauded as the players walked onto the pitch. It had become a familiar sight, the fans throwing their full support behind a team going through a difficult spell.
"I have to say, even though Liverpool haven't been in good form lately, I still love watching them play at Anfield!"
"Captain Leo looks a little different today. That new hairstyle suits him."
Leo greeted the opposing players, then made a point of walking over to the touchline to embrace Gerrard.
"Gerrard, you'd better be ready to take Villa home in tears today."
Gerrard burst out laughing and patted Leo on the back.
"I've been ready for that since last night. Whenever I see you on the other team, I know I have to prepare for the worst."
Over the years, Leo and Gerrard had become extremely close friends.
The Liverpool players were ready.
Leo looked at Núñez and gave him a nod, while Díaz and Salah were poised to burst forward at any moment.
"Beep!"
"Premier League Matchweek 16, Liverpool against Aston Villa, is underway!"
"Liverpool kick off. Núñez plays it back!"
Núñez immediately sent the ball backward. Leo received it and switched play to the right, where Alexander-Arnold began showing off his superb long-range passing.
"Alexander-Arnold clips a beautiful ball from the right toward Díaz! Díaz is up against Cash, and he's so quick on his feet!"
"He squeezes into the box from the wing!"
"Díaz crosses!"
Díaz forced his way into the penalty area and was just about to send the ball across when Cash suddenly stuck out a foot.
He had meant to block the cross, but instead caught Díaz on the foot.
Díaz went down with the contact.
The referee pointed to the spot!
"The Colombian left winger has won Liverpool a penalty!"
"The match has barely started, and Liverpool already have a penalty!"
Leo stood over the ball, ready to take it.
Emiliano Martínez was famous for saving penalties, and now he was doing everything he could to get inside Leo's head.
"Emiliano, I'm going to score."
"Even if you guess the right way, no matter what you do to distract me, I'm still going to score."
Leo said it so calmly that, for the first time, the Argentine goalkeeper began to wonder whether his own mental strength was really enough.
The referee gave the signal.
Leo began his run-up and drove the ball straight down the middle without even looking at Martínez.
Martínez dived to his left.
Wrong way.
"Leo scores from the spot!"
"Less than thirty seconds into the match, Leo converts the penalty! Liverpool lead Aston Villa 1-0!"
"What a perfect start! Cash gives away a penalty almost immediately, and Liverpool haven't had a goal come this easily in a long time!"
An Aston Villa fullback quickly carried the ball back toward the center circle, desperate to restart and find an equalizer.
But Liverpool immediately began pressing at full speed.
Leo directed the front line to close down Villa's defenders. Konsa wanted to move the ball wide, but both Targett and Cash were tightly marked.
Konsa had no choice but to send a long ball toward midfield.
Rodri intercepted it immediately and played it to Mac Allister.
Mac Allister's first touch brought the ball under control. He then turned and dribbled past McGinn.
At that moment, he remembered the advice Leo had given him during their extra training sessions.
He immediately carried the ball toward the right, away from McGinn.
That instantly bought Mac Allister far more time to look up and assess his options.
Díaz continued occupying Cash, while Mings and Konsa were both focused on Núñez.
Villa hadn't left anyone unmarked, so they weren't about to give Mac Allister an obvious opening.
Then Leo looked at Mac Allister, glanced toward Núñez, and made the forward burst Liverpool supporters knew better than anything else.
The run they loved most.
Leo exploded forward!
Mac Allister launched the long pass!
Salah received it on the right and knocked it across!
Núñez broke free of his marker and, the instant the ball reached him, drove a through ball forward with everything he had.
Straight toward Leo, who was charging into the penalty area.
Konsa watched Leo's terrifying acceleration and almost felt as though the Liverpool captain existed in a different space from him.
Leo seemed fast enough to tear straight through the space in front of his eyes.
Núñez's through ball was rolling toward Leo's right.
Leo cushioned it with the outside of his right foot, then spun backward with the ball in one smooth motion and left Konsa behind.
He raised his left leg and immediately smashed the shot toward the left side of Emiliano Martínez's goal.
Martínez threw himself across at full stretch.
His palm reached Leo's shot, but there was simply too much power behind it.
The ball struck the upper part of his hand and continued bouncing forward, as if it had hit an upward slope and simply carried on climbing.
Martínez had gotten his right hand to it.
It still flew into the net.
Anfield erupted.
Liverpool supporters couldn't remember the last time their team had produced an attacking move this beautiful.
They couldn't remember the last time Liverpool had scored two goals this spectacular in such quick succession.
"Two-nil to Liverpool!"
"Leo has led Liverpool into a two-goal lead over Villa!"
"We haven't even played ten minutes yet!"
"Leo already has two goals!"
"Rivaldo, I have a feeling this match could end up meaning something!"
Scholes watched Leo celebrate by pointing toward the captain's armband on his arm as he faced the Liverpool supporters.
That feeling of always finding a way to score when the opportunity came.
That feeling of leading his team into battle and tearing through anyone in their way.
The Leo who had led Liverpool to a UEFA Champions League title even with an injured elbow.
The young genius who had scored four goals in a single FIFA World Cup match.
Liverpool's greatest legend.
The youngest player ever to complete the Grand Slam of major international titles.
A three-time Ballon d'Or winner.
The first football superstar ever to reach a market value of 300 million.
Leo.
The King had returned!!!