"If you asked me before the season, I wouldn't have said we were title contenders, but now it looks like we are," Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said after the win over Aston Villa. With the Reds five points clear at the top, that's increasingly undeniable.
Are Liverpool the favourites to win the Premier League this season? They won't say so, not least because coach Arne Slot is not confident enough. The Reds led the Premier League for more days last season than any other team. But that was all for naught when Manchester City became champions.
Slot rationalised Liverpool's run of 15 wins in 17 games by arguing that Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea could do the same. The Citizens have always had a strong run in recent seasons but are they still a relentless winning machine?
Liverpool are the big anomaly among the four English clubs in this season's Champions League. Man City and Aston Villa have both lost their last four games in all competitions, while Arsenal have lost three of their last four.
All of which could be a warning to Liverpool that a similar downturn awaits them. If so, the table looks very different. Given the competitive nature of the Premier League and the tight schedule, almost every club is in crisis.
Of course, the scale of the crisis will depend on the team. Perhaps the title will be decided by consistency rather than excellence.
In Liverpool's last 7 matches against Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Brighton (twice), Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa, they have won 6 and drawn 1. Meanwhile, in 4/5 of their next matches, they will have to face Real Madrid, Man City, Newcastle and Everton. These are all harsh tests for Slot.
So far, the 'Reds' have passed the test on various levels. Sometimes superbly, sometimes just barely. The fact that five of their wins have been by a one-goal margin suggests they haven't always been superior to their opponents.
However, Liverpool have defended impressively, conceding just 10 goals in 15 games. Liverpool are much more solid now than they were under Jurgen Klopp, but still retain their impressive comeback ability. They have fallen behind to AC Milan, West Ham, Arsenal and Brighton, but still managed to win three and draw one.
"If I look at the upcoming games, they are all very difficult. Overall, it will be a difficult season. The gap is very small, we have a gap, but it is very small. Many challenges will come to us" - Slot is still cautious about Liverpool's ability to win the championship.
