Liverpool already have Premier League title advantage after expensive upgrades

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)

The month of August could hardly have gone better for Arne Slot and his Liverpool players.

The Reds have made a perfect start to the defence of their Premier League crown, picking up maximum points against Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Arsenal.

Defeat came in the Community Shield on penalties to Crystal Palace but having flown back from their tour of Hong Kong and Japan at the beginning of the month, the Reds ended it by closing a British record deal for Alexander Isak at £125m.

Next up for the Reds is a trip to Burnley this weekend before the Champions League returns via Atletico Madrid's visit to Anfield while Everton are also making their shortest away trip to the campaign later that week in the first Merseyside derby of the term.

READ MORE:Bayern's wounded Florian Wirtz claim doesn't stack up as Liverpool man gets what he really needsREAD MORE:Alexander Isak issue solved as Hugo Ekitike provides perfect answers for Liverpool

Ahead of the action really stepping up from this weekend, the ECHO's Liverpool FC writers take a closer look at the opening few weeks of the season and what it might tell us about what lies ahead for Arne Slot's Premier League champions

Three games, nine points and a £125m striker through the door: the start of the Premier League season has been particularly fruitful for the champions of England.

Having already started with a perfect record - in tough assignments away to Newcastle in the middle of Anfield visits from Bournemouth and Arsenal - Liverpool closed out August by adding Alexander Isak to what was already an impressively assembled squad, making him the most expensive footballer in British football history in the process.

There have been a couple of issues to keep Arne Slot occupied during the international break, with his side sometimes looking vulnerable to the speed of some counter-attacking, particularly Bournemouth on the opening day, but the clean sheet against title rivals Arsenal should be cause for optimism from the head coach ahead of a busy few weeks.

It's an exciting time for supporters given the scale and ambition of the work undertaken during the transfer window to add to what was already a Liverpool group that cantered to the title by 10 points last time out.

The capture of Isak was the desired outcome for a saga that seemed interminable at times and while instant results will be demanded of the £125m man, some patience might also be required, considering the Sweden international has not played competitively, at the time of writing, since May.

Some minutes are expected to come when Sweden meet Kosovo in a World Cup qualifier on Monday evening but Hugo Ekitike will have to continue his flying start to Liverpool life while his new colleague gets fully up to speed.

For the long term, though, the addition of Isak to Slot's group is a mouthwatering prospect.

The promotion of Andy Robertson to vice captain also recognises the Scotland skipper's importance and influence behind the scenes too.

Having made a flawless start to the new term before signing Isak, it's easy to see why many are insisting that Liverpool will remain the team to beat this season.

Instead, only over the coming weeks and months will there be a better idea of what should be expected of Arne Slot's evolving squad this campaign.

The arrival of Alexander Isak is the obvious main difference with which Liverpool will have to contend in the immediate future, the Reds having first to get the Swede up to speed and then integrate him into a team sporting new players in a number of key areas.

Having benefited from consistency of personnel last season, Slot's side are understandably still building relationships on and off the pitch this time around.

It will take time before a true balance is struck.

Indeed, while only six teams have conceded more times in the Premier League than the four goals the Reds have already shipped this season, they are the competition's leading scorers with eight.

But it's loosely the same at Liverpool's expected Premier League title rivals.

Arsenal were deeply unimpressive in defeat at Anfield and, while having a net spend in excess of the Reds during the summer transfer window in an attempt to close the gap at the top, are perhaps more reliant on a shift in mentality under Mikel Arteta than changes in the starting line-up.

Article continues below

Manchester City remain very much a work in progress but Pep Guardiola's track record suggests they could click at any time, while Chelsea are the wild card, as likely to implode as hit upon a winning formula among the vast number of players in their squad.

Whoever adapts quickest could well steal a march on their opponents in a similar manner to Liverpool during Slot's debut season.

It means points gained during the opening months of the campaign could well prove the difference come the final analysis.