Premier League talking points: Talisman Salah, Pochettino pressure and Man City reaction

When Liverpool were thumped 4-1 at Manchester City back on April 1, the gap between the two teams – and former title rivals in previous seasons – had become a mighty chasm. “Too passive, too open, too deep, too far away from anything,” admitted manager Jurgen Klopp after the match.

Little did Klopp know that the defeat at the Etihad Stadium would be Liverpool's last in a Premier League run that has now reached 17 matches, and will hit 18 if the can avoid defeat in Saturday's tough game away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Six matches into the new campaign, the unbeaten Merseysiders sit two points behind City with only the 100 per cent record of Pep Guardiola's side keeping them off top spot.

And the talisman of Liverpool's team remains Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian forward has seemingly been unaffected by a summer of speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia, making a flying start to the league campaign with three goals and four assists.

His Liverpool record now stands at 190 goals in 312 appearances across competitions and he will move into the all-time top 10 Premier League scorers list if he finds the net another eight times – bringing him level with Michael Owen on 150.

“He's breaking record after record. We have a very, very special player on our hands. A mentor as well, a leader,” said Klopp this week. “I see a real professional with a lot of experience and I see a man who can lead this team without being the captain, and he does that.”

Continuing his streak of goal involvements from the spot.

That's now 103 goals in 149 games at Anfield for @MoSalah