'It's extraordinary what Liverpool are doing' - can anyone stop them?

Mind games marque up a Premier League rubric conflict astir arsenic overmuch arsenic what happens connected the pitch, arsenic a manager looks to find the borderline implicit his rivals.

That whitethorn person been astatine play successful Mikel Arteta's pre-match quality league connected Friday erstwhile the Arsenal brag was asked whether helium expects leaders Liverpool to person a hard spell.

"They usually do," helium said. "So we person to beryllium there. That's for sure."

But based connected Saturday's display, Liverpool are showing nary signs of suffering a blip anytime soon arsenic they swept speech Ipswich 4-1 to support their six-point vantage implicit the Gunners, who edged past Wolves.

The Reds scored 4 goals with the in-form Cody Gakpo getting two, portion Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai were besides connected the scoresheet.

It extends their unbeaten tally successful the Premier League to 18 games and keeps them firmly successful the driving seat, arsenic they besides person a crippled successful manus implicit second-placed Arsenal.

"It's bonzer what Liverpool are doing," erstwhile Chelsea winger Pat Nevin said connected BBC Radio 5 live.

"They bash marque it look easy."

Liverpool's rubric situation was not expected by galore astatine the commencement of the play but Arne Slot - who replaced Jurgen Klopp successful the summertime - recovered his feet acold quicker than anticipated.

Salah has been their starring airy from the commencement of the play and his latest extremity took him to 19 for the play - the astir by immoderate subordinate successful the Premier League astatine this stage.

But what is besides worrying for Liverpool's rivals are the improvements others successful the squad person shown arsenic the run has gone on.

Gakpo's treble connected Saturday means helium has scored 5 goals successful his past six Premier League games, helping to instrumentality immoderate of the unit disconnected talisman Salah.

Szoboszlai is besides becoming much of a threat. At the commencement of the play helium was managing conscionable 1 oregon 2 shots per game, but that has accrued significantly.

Against Ipswich, helium had 4 shots - much than immoderate different subordinate - and connected different time could person had much than the 1 extremity helium managed.

But arsenic a squad they besides look to beryllium providing adjacent much attacking menace and, astatine Brentford past weekend, they had 37 shots - the astir ever by an distant squad successful Premier League history, since records began.

"That is the improvement the squad is in," Slot said. "We person our players present successful adjacent much promising positions than past season.

"At the opening of the play helium [Szoboszlai] would person played that shot [for his goal] to Mohamed Salah but this clip helium decided to spell for extremity himself.

"He is simply a spot underestimated, not by me, but helium doesn't get the recognition due to the fact that his work-rate is unbelievable. That is truthful important for the team."

Liverpool were ever seen arsenic free-scoring nether Klopp but nether Slot they are much pragmatic, with Saturday's triumph the archetypal clip they person scored 4 oregon much goals successful the league astatine Anfield this term.

Strong location signifier is ever cardinal to a rubric propulsion and the Reds person present picked up much points (26) and wins (eight) astatine location successful the Premier League this play than immoderate different side.

Facing teams warring for endurance has the imaginable to origin a squad astatine the apical to gaffe up, arsenic they go frustrated astatine trying to interruption down an hostile with a debased block.

But that did not look apt for Liverpool from the infinitesimal they opened Ipswich up for Szoboszlai's opener.

From past they calmly added 3 further goals to guarantee Ipswich's precocious unit resulted successful thing much than a consolation goal.

"If you are going to beryllium passive against a squad similar Liverpool, you are going to beryllium punished," erstwhile Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha said.

"Credit to Liverpool, they find ways to triumph games. For them, they conscionable support winning."

While Liverpool are successful the driving seat, a mates of atrocious results tin rapidly spot a six-point vantage disappear. It is intelligibly not a title-winning vantage and surely not astatine this signifier of the season.

Crucial for Liverpool volition beryllium winning their crippled successful hand, arsenic a nine-point vantage becomes harder to flooded - some connected the transportation and psychologically.

History shows it tin beryllium done, adjacent astatine this signifier of a season.

In 1996, Manchester United trailed Kevin Keegan's Newcastle by 12 points aft 23 matches, but Sir Alex Ferguson's broadside ended up lifting the rubric aft a final-day triumph against Middlesbrough.

But Slot and his players are refusing to get distracted by the rubric battle, alternatively looking to instrumentality each crippled arsenic it comes.

"We are chiefly focused connected ourselves," helium added.

"We had to triumph this crippled due to the fact that it's expected from Liverpool that we triumph this game.

"It's truthful pleasing to spot that we had a comfy win."