It is usually one of the most exciting and anticipated days in the football calendar.
After a summer starved of competitive club action, the prospect of the start of the new Premier League season would normally be met with giddy enthusiasm from Liverpool supporters.
Except, of course, these are not normal times.
For a start, the last top-flight campaign finished less than six weeks ago.
And while Anfield crackled with noise and atmosphere for the big kick-off last year, this time around Jurgen Klopp's side will begin their campaign against Leeds United on Saturday evening in almost total silence.
Playing in front of empty stands was not how Liverpool would have envisaged life as new Premier League champions. But, with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, their supporters remain locked out, with a possible return late next month also under review.
The impact of having no fans present continues to be hotly debated.
But for former Liverpool skipper Jamie Redknapp, now a Sky Sports pundit, there are no doubts.
“More than any other team, Liverpool are going to miss their crowd," he says, speaking to the ECHO.
"I might be biased – well, I am biased – but it’s a fact Liverpool and their fans are a perfect blend.
“Jurgen Klopp has created a great team environment and a togetherness, along with a brilliant team, but he’s also got the crowd and the team connected as one.
“You can see it. You can see in the tunnel, sometimes opposing teams are defeated before the game has even started because they come up, the crowd are at fever pitch, they’re up for it and the atmosphere is unbelievable.
“Even when the team hasn’t been playing well, they have pushed them to results they simply wouldn’t have got had there been no crowd there.
"They demand it, they make them run that extra mile, they make them get into the box, do those runs. They are a force to be reckoned with."
Redknapp adds: “Take the first weekend of the season. Liverpool against Leeds, two clubs that have great fans backing their team. Leeds are certainly going to miss having their fans with them and so will Liverpool.
“Once the fans start coming in gradually, hopefully it won’t be too long before the stadiums are up towards capacity again.
“But it has to be at right time. We can’t rush this. It has to be a time that is safe. Football is important, yes, but obviously health is a lot more important. Right now, just getting some fans in will be such a bonus."
Indeed, Redknapp is among those who believe the empty stands have helped certain players and teams prosper in the behind-closed-doors era.
“We have seen some examples of how having no crowd can actually benefit some teams," he says.
“I have no doubt some players loved not having the crowd there without that pressure.
“Getting stick from the crowd and dealing with it is one of the most difficult things as a footballer – there isn’t a player who hasn’t had it at some point in their career.
“I watched Aston Villa towards the end of last season, and they looked to be better for nobody being there. Not that Villa fans are anything other than fantastic, but perhaps some of their players struggled with expectancy and they maybe hide. I think it played a big part in them staying up."
Despite missing supporters, Redknapp still regards Liverpool as favourites to retain their title due to the presence of one player in particular.
“Liverpool are favourites, definitely," he says. "Things might change a bit if City strengthen their defence further.
“The most important player at Liverpool is Virgil van Dijk. Some people will say the goalkeeper has made the difference, but he hasn’t. This Liverpool team could still have won the league last season with another goalkeeper, but they couldn’t have got themselves another Van Dijk.
“He is the most incredible defender, and that’s why Liverpool have changed from a team scraping into the top four to a team who are Champions League winners and Premier League winners.
"He’s that good. Every team is looking for a player like him, and they don’t come along very often."
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