This is Dominik Szoboszlai’s world, and we are just living in it. After a world-class free-kick against Arsenal rocketed Liverpool to the top of the Premier League, the midfielder/right-back has taken the internet by storm after his goal celebration went viral. However, fans are debating in the forum if the snap was a message to the newly-departed Trent Alexander Arnold, who used to be Liverpool’s main set-piece specialist and whose position is now being filled by Szoboszlai.
Let’s go through the context snap-by-snap. Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool’s cherished, homegrown right back, had moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid this summer, making it one of the biggest transfer events of this decade. What he left was a gaping hole in Arne Slot’s 4-man backline. Slot shifted box-to-box midfielder Szoboszlai to Alexander-Arnold’s spot, in what was a surprising turn, and is now reaping rewards.
In a league filled to the brim with the best footballing talent in the world, with developing tactical nuances of Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka, Slot’s modified continuation of Klopp’s gegenpress, Arsenal’s stone-walled defending, one must not forget the sweet, nostalgic joy that comes from a free-kick goal. When Szoboszlai hit the goal in the top left corner of David Raya’s net, the very same nostalgia of seeing a free-kick, hit the waves of devoted fans at Anfield.
Sit back and enjoy every angle of THAT Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/XadhY8wuB9
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2025
When asked about the goal, Szoboszlai, as usual, replied modestly, “I was confident in myself, I tried it. I should mention Trent because he was taking the free-kicks in the past. Finally I could have my chance and I did it. I had to take a risk and shoot a little bit harder because I knew Raya likes to jump behind the ball. He’s an unbelievable goalkeeper. If it goes a bit more inside he saves it.”
Moreover, what followed his goal was him celebrating with a snap of his fingers and then a quick wink. It is a known fact around Merseyside that Szoboszlai’s good looks, affable charm, and energetic midfield presence have made him into a cult figure with a rapidly growing fanbase, and yesterday’s celebration would just add fire to this.
A “snap” is not a celebration you witness every day. It is quite a minimal, understated one, but, as fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe know, a “snap” carries enormous weight. In Avengers: Infinity War, the infamous “snap” by Thanos removed half of the living beings in the universe.
A momentous, anticlimactic end for a movie which had then been the talk of summer. In 2018, witnessing Infinity War was the most important pop culture moment in the world. The present-day doldrums of the superhero genre is nothing in front of the legacy of that “snap”.
So needless to say, when the camera captured Szoboszlai smiling and snapping his fingers, everyone could allude it to Thanos. So, is the Hungarian midfielder going to eat up half of the Premier League clubs with his free-kick prowess?
Fans might even speculate this as a reminder to everyone that the right-back shaped hole that Trent Alexander-Arnold left, might be filled quicker than they think. For Trent, however, the story has been a bit different. The English star is having a quiet time at Santiago Bernabeau, and is yet to make much of an impact. These are still early days, though, and it shouldn’t be long before he hits the ground running alongside his English countryman Jude Bellingham, as Madrid try to charge for trophies under newly-appointed Xabi Alonso.
In Anfield, the mood is at an all-time high, and why shouldn’t it be? Szoboszlai’s heroics catapulted Liverpool to the top of the table, and as defending champions, they would take any point their way without hesitation.
