Liverpool avoid what seemed inevitable to leave Arne Slot watching Arsenal vs Man City with a smile

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A journalist with over a decade's worth of experience, he has worked at the ECHO since 2016.

For more than a few uncomfortable moments, after Idrissa Gueye's rasping drive had halved the Everton deficit, Liverpool looked powerless to avoid the inevitable.

But this time, rather than fling away a two-goal lead for what remarkably would have been a fourth time inside barely a month of this new season, Arne Slot's champions held their nerve and ground out another big victory instead that preserves their 100% start to the campaign across all competitions.

This was as competitive a Merseyside derby as there has been at Anfield for quite some time and the upwardly mobile and inventive Everton will feel their efforts after the break deserved more than a second defeat of the campaign.

But Liverpool's ability to etch out the maximum from games when they are not at their sparkling best has become a key feature of this defence of their crown and they can now include neighbours Everton in the list of the teams they have conquered alongside title rivals Arsenal, Champions League outfit Newcastle and Bournemouth, who headed into the weekend in third.

Once more it was a performance that didn't reach lofty heights but 15 points already means Sunday's watch of Manchester City's visit to Arsenal will be done so in plenty of comfort for Slot, whose team will be a beneficiary of that result, whatever happens at the Emirates.

Both first-half goals here were perfect examples of the devastating threat Liverpool can carry for teams who leave gaps around their own half.

The first arrived via Ryan Gravenberch's hooked finish from Mohamed Salah's clip over the top, before the second came after expert link-up from all three midfielders, with Gravenberch finding Hugo Ekitike with a razor-sharp ball that was given the finish it deserved, through Jordan Pickford's legs.

Gravenberch has reinvented himself under Slot having been something of a squad player, on the fringes in Jurgen Klopp's final campaign.

The Dutchman, the Premier League's Young Player of the Year for 24/25, has once more started in blistering form, with his beautiful balance and press-resistance in the middle of the park.

If there has been one criticism of the Netherlands star, it has been the lack of contributions in the goals and assists columns to go with his poise and power, so this was about as perfect as it could have been on that score, with Gravenberch supplying one of each during a largely one-sided first period where he once more oozed class.

At age of 23 and 127 days, Gravenberch became the youngest player to score and assist in a Merseyside derby, while his seven recoveries of possession was the highest of any player in the match.

There can't be many better midfielders on the continent just now and with his best years ahead of him, it is a mouthwatering prospect for Slot, who must take so much credit for getting his compatriot's career back on the rails at the start of last season.

If the early jousting of the 25/26 term has revealed two things about this new-look Liverpool, it is that they are great salesmen of late drama but a side who are apparently at their most vulnerable when two goals to the good.

And while other Everton sides might have shut up shop when 2-0 down and beaten a hasty retreat back across Stanley Park, this is a different side under David Moyes now; one that has creativity in abundance in Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye.

So it was no surprise to see both involved in Gueye's strike that arrowed past Alisson Becker just before the hour mark.

The Toffees huffed and puffed but lacked a killer instinct up top.

The introductions of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak - the £240m men - was a showcase of the awesome strength in depth at Anfield now, but neither were able to stamp their class on proceedings with the latter still understandably getting up to speed having only played 78 minutes since May before this.

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Wirtz, for all his obvious gifts, still appears a half-second short in the decisive moments.

The Germany international’s big moment will come but the wait goes on for now.

The final whistle brought about a fifth successive home win over the Blues for the first time since a stretch of fixtures between 1933 and 1937, but the more pertinent statistic is that this 2-1 victory means the leaders have now equalled their best starts to a Premier League campaign in 2018 and 2019, when they amassed points hauls of 97 and 99.

A similarly strong campaign this time around will surely see them keep their status as champions of England.