You would think after what had happened at Anfield last season, Manchester United would have paid far closer attention to Andy Robertson. The Scot, who was part of Liverpool’s ‘team three’ for the friendly in Bangkok, almost hurt them in similar fashion to how he did in April.

In the Reds’ 4-0 home win over their fierce rivals, they scored twice either side of half-time. The moves for the latter pair of goals were both instigated by Robertson winning the ball in the middle third of the field and making good use of possession from there.

The Liverpool left-back came close to a repeat in the first friendly of the summer. Having brilliantly anticipated a pass he nipped in to steal the ball, took a touch and then created a chance for his new team-mate, Darwin Nunez. Unfortunately, Tom Heaton was then equal to the Uruguayan’s powerful shot.

The fact one of the Reds’ most creative players set up a chance for their new forward is hardly an earth-shattering development. There were elements of the brief move which are intriguing as we contemplate what might lie in store this season, though.

Nunez hasn’t had a particularly strong on-field relationship with left-backs in his career to this point. For many forwards at most clubs that wouldn’t be noteworthy but Benfica’s first-choice player for the position was one of their most creative outlets in 2021/22.

Alejandro Grimaldo was their joint-top assist provider in the Champions League last season, while only right midfielder Rafa Silva (who set up more goals for Nunez than anyone else) bettered his Primeira Liga tally. Yet the left-back only created one goal in each competition for Liverpool’s new number 27: a set piece cross against Ajax and a cut-back from within the box against Belenenses.

Nunez’ first international goal, scored in a 15-minute cameo debut against Peru, was more akin to what we might expect to see at Liverpool. Substitute left-back Matias Vina crossed into the box and the Reds’ new forward was on hand to get in front of a defender and head the ball home at the near post.

The chance in the friendly was not fashioned in this manner, though. Robertson was in the left half-space and floated a diagonal pass towards Nunez on the right of the box. He chested it down and then was able to take the shot.

Reading too much into one moment borne out of circumstance would be foolish. Nunez had been pressing United players down near the right touchline a few seconds earlier, so won’t necessarily be where Robertson found him too often in future. Similarly, the left-back played the pass from where he won the ball and couldn’t have crossed it from there if he had tried.

But we shouldn’t automatically dismiss this from being a potential new route of attack for Liverpool either. The top recipients of Robertson’s passes into the box in the league last season were Sadio Mane, with nine, Diogo Jota (eight) and Mohamed Salah (seven). There are no surprises in that trio, although Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (with five) isn’t the most obvious candidate to see next in the standings.

Yet during the period when the Africa Cup of Nations was in full-flow, Robertson assisted the latter with a diagonal pass to the right of the box at Selhurst Park. They combined for a goal in the previous league match, against Brentford, too. While Oxlade-Chamberlain received that pass in the centre of the box, it was again played from the half space rather than on the flank as you might expect from Robertson.

Jurgen Klopp has hinted that how his side attacks will evolve this season. “What can we do? I have an idea, but I am really open to what the boys offer,” he said. “We could play with a settled formation or use options to change the dynamics on the pitch.”

Having a player who many view as a traditional centre-forward drifting to wide areas in the box to receive diagonal passes from a full-back who is known as a crossing machine would certainly be a new dynamic. Maybe it was a random occurrence against United, or maybe it was the first sighting of something which will become commonplace for Liverpool in 2022/23. That’s for Klopp to know and opposing managers to guess at this point.