4 things we learned: Liverpool are as good as anyone in the Premier League

Liverpool are playing as well as anyone in the Premier League

There was no sign of weakness at the back for Liverpool this weekend, nor anywhere else for that matter. Jurgen Klopp’s team are playing as well as anyone in the Premier League — and yes, that includes Manchester City, who have barely eked out wins late in their last two matches — and are enjoying their road trips of late, having beaten Stoke, Brighton and West Ham by an aggregated score of 12-2. Were it not for Willian’s late equalizer last week, Liverpool would have been in third place ahead of Chelsea and the rest of the big six clubs outside of Manchester.

Philippe Coutinho in particular was outstanding, scoring one goal and carving up the Brighton midfield with his dribbling and passing in the true fashion of a world class number 10. Mohamed Salah’s darting runs with the ball and buzzing pace while pressing are giving opponents fits.

Perhaps forced by the circumstance of having two of his regular center-backs, Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan, unavailable, Klopp resorted to the fashionable three-man backline with Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum deputizing as center-backs. Klopp may have stumbled on something here as the Reds kept Brighton in check by packing the midfield with the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner and cutting off the Brighton attacks early on.

Things never looked rosier at Anfield this season, but if Liverpool are to take the proverbial next step they need to maintain this level of play beyond these past few games.