Liverpool’s major title egde proved once again that he is the successor to Mohamed Salah.

Premier League recap: Liverpool need to focus on a striker who could one day replace Mohamed Salah, Jurgen Klopp’s main asset again evident.

Liverpool clearly have a lot of work to do, but with 20 points from nine Premier League games this season, they are off to a very good start given the extent of their summer overhaul.
It took 14 games to surpass that figure last season, with the Reds beating Southampton in mid-November to secure a 22-point lead before the World Cup break.

Jurgen Klopp knows his side can go further and must secure at least a point after Spurs’ VAR failure.
Dominik Soboszlai has started, the Reds’ forwards are attacking and the depth is already evident in several areas of Liverpool’s squad.

Liverpool and Manchester City both went top of the league this weekend, while Arsenal took a late point from Chelsea despite a poor performance.

And “Tottenham” host “Fulham” and do not play until the evening. Ange Postecoglou’s side have the added advantage of not qualifying for European football (at least in terms of competition eligibility).

What else happened in the Premier League this weekend?

Liverpool.com has looked back and compiled the highlights, including what they mean for the Reds.

Amazing performance.

Liverpool were disappointed against Aston Villa when Unai Emery’s side arrived at Anfield earlier this season, but the result has been a good season for the Midlands side so far.
The 4-1 win over West Ham this weekend was impressive.

Douglas Luiz scored an assist, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey also got on the scoresheet, while Moussa Diaby once again showed why he’s worth watching. Aston Villa could still escape the top four and Diaby should be seen as Mohamed Salah’s successor when the time comes (I wrote more about why he’s ideal by clicking here).

weekend shock

There haven’t been many surprises this season in the Premier League, but it was somewhat surprising that Newcastle easily beat Crystal Palace.
Chelsea squandering a 2-0 lead against Arsenal.

There was an accident between the two goalkeepers during the match at Stamford Bridge. David Raya was under enormous pressure as Mikel Arteta brought Aaron Ramsdale on and a poor pass from Robert Sanchez allowed Declan Rice to get the Gunners back into the game.

No goalkeeper has come close to Alisson Becker’s level and this weekend Liverpool showed why they have a massive title lead.
While Alisson is taking things easy, the rest of the Premier League goalkeepers (with the exception of Ederson) are way behind.

Goal of the round

It was Brentford’s third goal in a 3-0 win, but Saman Goddos hasn’t scored well all season.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth seeking out.
Brian Mbuemo made it 2-0 after a dramatic move.

Rice’s aforementioned goal against Arsenal was also well received.
If you haven’t already seen Andy Carroll’s goal against Amiens in Ligue 2 outside the Premier League, look it up!

Here’s what we learned from Liverpool’s approach:

Salah’s performance could be worse.
However, the Egyptian scored twice in the Merseyside derby and won the Man of the Match award despite his poor performance.

It was the latest reminder that Salah remains in high demand at Liverpool, despite speculation that he is interested in Saudi Arabia.
With less than two years left on his contract, there’s no reason to believe he’ll opt out just yet.

Liverpool player of the week

Although no Liverpool players played against Everton, the form of Virgil van Dijk was good to see.
He took this game very seriously and rarely made a mistake.

Van Dijk commanded his attack effortlessly, beating Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the air.
He controlled the penalty spot as Craig Pawson sat in front of the VAR screen to prevent Everton’s players from harming him.

He later led by example in important matters and admitted it was a deliberate ploy by his colleagues to avoid facing a judge. It remains to be seen who will win the race to support him at the back, but there is no doubt who Liverpool’s best defender is.
Van Dijk returns after a season in which he struggled to live up to his usual standards.