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Liverpool could be forgiven for feeling as though its start to the season has not been given enough credit.
Much of the focus has been on what hasn't fully clicked into gear yet, with Florian Wirtz on the receiving end of plenty of criticism. But even if Arne Slot's side is not quite firing on all cylinders, it has added four points compared to the equivalent fixtures in last season's title-winning campaign. It has beaten last year's runner-up and come through a contest against a ridiculously fired-up Newcastle side.
That bad feeling was of course inspired by the Alexander Isak saga, with the Swede now through the door and training with his new club. That will only add to Slot's options — at a time when the fixture list at least briefly becomes a little more forgiving, with no equivalent let-up for Arsenal.
The two sides were handed the toughest starts in the division. Like Slot, Mikel Arteta has also managed to improve on his points tally from the same games last season, despite the defeat to Liverpool.
The Gunners could only draw at Old Trafford last season, converting that to a win this time around.
They also won comfortably against Leeds, mirroring an equivalent victory over Leicester last year, leading to a one-point net gain overall.
Even so, that loss at Anfield has put Arsenal on the back foot already. It might technically be improving year over year, but not at the same rate as Liverpool, meaning the gap between them looks as though it is only getting bigger.
On the one table that truly matters, the gap between the two challengers is up to three points already. And Liverpool has reason to be optimistic of extending that over the next few weeks.
Liverpool's next five fixtures
Burnley (A): Liverpool's first fixture after the international break sees it travel to Turf Moor. The newly-promoted side has shipped three to both Spurs and Man Utd so far, and will now face a fearsome attack that has added Isak to the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo.
Atletico Madrid (H): After the return of the Premier League, Liverpool soon faces its first Champions League encounter of the season. Atletico is far from an easy encounter, but the new format gives the Reds a huge chance of progressing from the league phase, even if things don't pan out quite as serenely as last time.
Everton (H): Okay, so Liverpool's fixture list isn't relenting hugely, with a Merseyside derby never a straightforward affair. But at the same time, Everton's record at Anfield is pretty horrible, and Slot's side will enter as the clear favorite.
Southampton (H): This marks Liverpool's entrance into the Carabao Cup for the new season. Championship opposition with an expansive, open style should make for a good spectacle, one in which the Reds are likely to come out on top — and a third home assignment in a row is a bonus, too.
Crystal Palace (A): Back in the Premier League, Palace is always a potential banana skin, as Liverpool found out in the Community Shield. But having added to the squad since then, and had some time to settle into a rhythm, the Reds should ultimately be able to emerge with a win this time.
The bottom line is that Liverpool's next three league games are against two bottom-half sides from last season and a newly-promoted outfit. They won't be easy matches, but there is a sufficient quality mismatch that Slot should fancy his chances of recording another maximum nine-point return, something Arsenal may struggle to match.
Arsenal's next five fixtures
Nottingham Forest (H): This game might have just got easier or harder for Arsenal, depending on how you look at it. The departure of Nuno Espirito Santo was a crazy development, and one which will surely set Forest back, but Ange Postecoglou rocking up at the Emirates as new boss is a wildcard that could produce just about any result.
Athletic Club (A): Athletic is a kinder draw than Atletico, although the two sides were split by just one place and six points in La Liga last season. And Arsenal has the inconvenience of travelling away, potentially disrupting league preparations.
Man City (H): Arsenal knows by now that it simply cannot celebrate draws with Man City. This goes down as a must-win game if it is serious in its league ambitions, and yet Arteta always struggles against his old mentor.
Port Vale (A): The Gunners should have no issues in its first Carabao Cup assignment, which comes against struggling League One opposition. Arteta will probably seize gratefully on a chance to rest starters.
Newcastle (A): Unfortunately, Newcastle is yet to convince itself that games against Arsenal are part of some kind of fierce rivalry, as it has done with Liverpool. But Eddie Howe's side is still always an intense, difficult opponent, one that beat Arteta three times last season.
So the next three league games for Arsenal come against teams who finished no lower than seventh last season. With away trips in other competitions interspersed as well, it's going to be a real test of Arteta's credentials, presenting a potential chance for Liverpool to extend its lead at the top.
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