Overview

• Liverpool have opened their title defence with five straight league wins to lead the Premier League by five points.
• Enzo Maresca said Liverpool would be “impossible to catch” if they maintain this pace, extending the gap to the rest.
• He pointed to Liverpool’s summer outlay of more than £400 million, naming additions such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
• Chelsea sit seven points back after a draw with Brentford and a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United, leaving them winless in three.
• Roy Keane has bristled at the tone of conceding so early, with coverage recalling Jurgen Klopp’s comparable stance in 2021, while Cole Palmer is expected to miss the Lincoln cup tie as Maresca turns to academy players.