2 hours ago
17
For the first time since matchday nine of last season, Liverpool is not at the summit of the Premier League table, either exclusively or jointly alongside another team.
Arsenal, instead, who beat West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, has overtaken. Though we are only a handful of games into the new campaign, Liverpool has now lost three matches in a row in all competitions after a very strong start.
For the Gunners, that provides an opportunity to capitalize. And for Manchester City, playing catch-up having already lost twice this season, there is another chance to make up some ground against Brentford.
Watching on from home as Liverpool lost earlier in the weekend, Manchester City forward Erling Haaland needed just one word to describe the late winner that Brazilian teenager Estevao netted at Stamford Bridge. "Wonderkid," he wrote on his Instagram story.
Haaland has already scored eight times in the Premier League this season, taking the lead in the race for the Golden Boot. He already has five more goals than any Liverpool player (Hugo Ekitike has the most, on three).
But in time, Arne Slot will hope that Liverpool can find its attacking form. Alexander Isak is still getting up to speed and while Florian Wirtz was good when he came on against Chelsea, it tells its own story that he wasn't chosen to start.
"I feel good," Isak told the Reds' official website this weekend. "I’ve been working hard to get back to my best and I’m still working to get to my best form. It was good to play out there again [against Chelsea].
"I was hoping for a different result but we’ll keep working. I’m very excited for the whole season ahead. Game by game we have to improve of course if we want to achieve the things we want to. But yeah, really excited."
Only Isak and Mohamed Salah scored more goals than Haaland in the Premier League last season. But Salah is yet to hit form this year, despite the early months of the campaign tending to be when he is hottest.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
"The more [Salah and Isak] play together, the more they will connect," Slot said at Stamford Bridge. "I think that's what you saw in the second half already a little bit from the start.
"Especially after I had to take [Ibrahima] Konate off because he felt his quad, when Ryan [Gravenberch] started to play in that position, we were able to get our attackers much more in promising situations much more than in the first half.
"For me it wasn't the disconnection or the time we need for the forwards to do better. I think the first half was mainly that we had to be better in build-up and that's what we did more and more in the second half.
"That's why we created also so many good moments, chances and moments that we could have created much more."
English (US) ·