Liverpool passed a major test of their Premier League title credentials to move back to the top of the table by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah's penalty and Curtis Jones' winner made it 10 wins in 11 games for the Reds since Arne Slot took charge. Nicolas Jackson briefly levelled for Chelsea in the second half, but they slipped to a first league defeat since losing to Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season.
Victory takes Liverpool one point ahead of City and four clear of Arsenal, who they face at the Emirates next weekend. Chelsea are now seven points off the top down in sixth, but there was plenty cause for optimism for the Blues from a performance that stretched Liverpool to their limits.
Liverpool's only defeat under Slot came to Nottingham Forest following September's international break. The Dutchman responded by this time leaving all of his South American internationals -- Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez -- on the bench after their exertions in recent days across the Atlantic.