Analysis: Reds remain a work in progress

[Getty Images] Liverpool go into the three-week break having won back-to-back Premier League away games, while they have now kept three top-flight clean sheets in a row in a single season for the first time since the opening three games of 2024-25 - when they went on to win the title in Arne Slot's first season. In addition, they have won four of their last five games in all competitions. Sounds good, doesn't it? Yet this was far from a fluent Liverpool performance and the Reds, whose next game is against leaders Manchester City on 11 October, remain a work in progress despite extending their unbeaten start under Iraola. They struggled to impose themselves against opponents who travelled to northern Spain to play Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday. It took 33 minutes before Liverpool registered a first attempt on target while it was another 11 minutes before they won a first corner. At least Alexander Isak is starting to show some form. The £125m signing has already scored more top-flight goals than last season, while the defensive partnership between Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet is showing promise.