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Liverpool secured a dramatic late win for the fourth time in four Premier League games on Sunday as Mohamed Salah's penalty downed a spirited Burnley side at Turf Moor.
Salah made no mistake from the spot after Hannibal Mebri's mindless handball in stoppage time, as the Reds restored their three-point lead at the top of the table.
Despite maintaining its 100 per cent record, Liverpool was far from its best once again, and there is only so long that the team will be able to rely on late goals to get over the line.
Despite scoring the winning goal, Salah's overall display drew questions from some of the journalists in attendance, with The Independent's Pete Hall going as far as saying he could end up costing Liverpool the title if his form doesn't improve.
He wrote: "In any other team, Salah’s position would be watertight, completely untouchable. But Liverpool have had an all-timer of a transfer window, broke the British record twice to bring in two of the best forwards in the world, and leaving Salah in there, week in, week out, when he remains this ineffective, could, even if it may seem unlikely at this stage, prove costly come May.
"Isak’s return to full fitness gives Slot one of the most luxurious of dilemmas in Premier League history. If Salah’s form continues at this limp rate, however, the Liverpool boss may in fact have to do the unthinkable, for the greater good."
The Times' Paul Joyce also addressed Salah's ineffective display, saying it was surprising that he was not substituted as the team searched for a winner.
"For 94 minutes it had been pertinent to wonder what reason Mohamed Salah had for not showing up at Turf Moor. Alexander Isak, at least, had an excuse.
"This was a contest in which the Egypt forward had found himself marooned on the periphery, unable to do right for wrong as a couple of crosses that flew straight behind rather than to their intended target testified.
"Salah endured such an afternoon of toil that it was something of a mystery as to why the Liverpool head coach Arne Slot had not hauled him off in search of a breakthrough against a superbly organised Burnley, as he had done earlier with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz."
Meanwhile The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe opened his game report with a suggestion after Liverpool scored another late winner.
"Liverpool have an aura of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. Maybe we should start talking about ‘Arne time," he wrote. "The closer an opponent gets to denying them victory, the greater the sense of anxiety and inevitability the breakthrough will come."
He added "Liverpool march on with Alexander Isak still to be introduced. When they can win like this it is already looking rather ominous for the rest."
The Athletic's Andy Jones gave his take on Florian Wirtz, whose influence grew over the course of the game, despite once again drawing a blank in the goals and assists columns.
"Liverpool were too slow and predictable in the first half but in the second half, they began to increase their pace, with Wirtz increasingly prominent," Jones wrote.
"Wirtz came close to breaking the deadlock when he weaved into the box before firing wide of the post just before the hour mark. He was part of some nice, tight interchanges around the box with his team-mates but often it felt like Liverpool were trying to score the perfect goal, either opting for one pass too many or simply failing to execute the final ball.
"Wirtz was not helped by Liverpool’s front three all having quiet afternoons. Cody Gakpo and Salah got plenty of the ball in wide areas but were relatively ineffective, while Hugo Ekitike found it tough against Burnley’s three centre-backs."
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