Via Liverpool.com
Liverpool has kicked off this season under the guidance of head coach Arne Slot in a manner that can only be described as stunning, sending shockwaves through the Premier League.
As the season began, few gave the Reds much hope for title glory, expecting a tough transitional phase following the Jurgen Klopp era
This scepticism seemed confirmed by a quiet window marked by only one major arrival: Federico Chiesa from Juventus.
Gary Neville was clear in his judgement on 'Monday Night Football' back in August, saying:
Neville
"My view would be the impact of Klopp [leaving] will take its toll, just going off evidence from history" - suggesting Liverpool might struggle to break into the top four.
Close on the heels of United's win against Fulham on the opening day, Neville also spilled the beans on a £5,000 charity wager with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, centered on whether United would end the league above Liverpool - with the loser footing the bill.
Neville was far from alone in doubting Liverpool, though. From the BBC's round-up of 30 pundits' Premier League predictions, not a soul fancied Slot's squad for the title
a mere two pundits predicted Liverpool would scrape second place, and three remarkably didn't fancy the Reds for a top-four finish at all.
Fast forward to the present day, and the Premier League landscape has dramatically shifted.
United has just appointed their sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, and are currently sitting in 14th place after nine league games.
Liverpool has won eight of their first 10 matches and is leading the Premier League table, two points clear of its perennial title rival Manchester City, and seven ahead of Arsenal.
The post-October international break run of fixtures was seen by many as the first real test of Slot's tenure, yet Liverpool has come out largely unscathed
Liverpool's hard-fought 2-1 comeback win against Brighton on Saturday - when both City and Arsenal dropped points - felt like a pivotal moment
Liverpool know better than anyone that title races are long, difficult and unpredictable
Slot, in particular, will be unhappy with his team's first-half performance against the Seagulls on Saturday,
Summer recruit Chiesa has only managed 78 minutes on the pitch this season due to fitness and injury woes.
Diogo Jota has been out of action since Liverpool's win over Chelsea earlier this month, while Alisson is currently nursing a hamstring issue.
Harvey Elliott also remains sidelined after sustaining a foot injury in September
Despite these setbacks and with crucial matches against Leverkusen and Villa looming, the Anfield faithful remain optimistic
The players, Slot and the home crowd were determined to secure all three points against Brighton, can attitude that will be key moving forward
Over the past month, Liverpool's title credentials have shifted from doubtful to convincing.
The Reds have defied expectations, proving they are serious contenders.
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