The Premier League season may be just three games old for Liverpool, but they have wasted no time throwing down the gauntlet.

While the rest of last season’s top four have already dropped 11 points between them, the rock solid Reds have sailed towards the top in ominous fashion for their rivals.

Only goal difference keeps them off the spot they made their own last term and it might not take long before they return to those comforts given how they have started this time around.

Their latest triumph, this 3-1 win at home to Arsenal, capped off an almost perfect few weeks of football for the champions of England in their aim to once more have their names on the trophy.

Jurgen Klopp will feel hugely content in the knowledge that a difficult September – one that saw his team begin their title defence against Leeds, Chelsea and Arsenal – has been negotiated safely with maximum points on the board.

At a time when Liverpool ‘s rivals are struggling to get out of first gear, a drive towards the summit of the table is beginning to gather pace for the champions of England as they moved up to second behind Leicester City.

Consistency will be key to making sure the title stays in the Anfield trophy cabinet and three wins from three has already placed pressure on those doing the chasing.

The Premier League season may be less than a month old but this meeting with the Londoners felt bigger than perhaps it should have been given the gap that could be opened up over a Manchester City side many are still tipping to most closely challenge the champions this term.

Given their surprise shellacking at home to Leicester on Sunday, City have now fallen six behind the Reds. A game in hand will be the counter claim to that fact but any manager would rather have the points on the board.

There are few who have got the better of Klopp’s Liverpool over the past few seasons, but Mikel Arteta’s fledgling days at Arsenal had yielded impressive results before this deserved defeat.

A 2-1 win in July at the Emirates was followed up by a penalty-shootout triumph in the Community Shield in August, and unlike the closing years of Arsene Wenger or Unai Emery’s ill-fated tenure with the Gunners, Arteta’s foresight to avoid a fire fight with the Reds has seen them emerge with success.

So while Arteta might feel he had cracked the code, this trip to Anfield was always going to put his more organised tactical blueprint to the test.

And so it proved as largely comfortable win extended a flawless start to the campaign for Liverpool and scratched that irritating itch caused by the Gunners in the process.

Rumours and reports Thiago Alcantara and Alisson Becker dominated the pre-match build up to this one and a time where Klopp is already without Joel Matip, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and captain Jordan Henderson, further absences were far from ideal.

It was a case of good news and bad news when the team sheets dropped at 7pm.

Alisson was fit to take his place in goal but new £25m man Thiago missed out completely. A post-international break return has been slated for the Spain international.

There was further agreeable news as Joe Gomez returned at centre-back to move Fabinho further forward to his natural role as the finest defensive midfielder in the Premier League.

Liverpool started the brighter of the two sides and almost went ahead when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s well-drilled effort from 25 yards hit Hector Bellerin before bouncing on to the bar.

Gini Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane forced Bernd Leno into a couple of saves as the hosts turned on the style at times.

Despite their territorial dominance, however, the Reds fell behind in strange circumstances when Alexandre Lacazette made the most of a miscue from the otherwise excellent Robertson to convert the most undeserved of openers for Arsenal.

Perhaps fueled by the injustice, Liverpool had parity three minutes later when Mane pounced to tap homer after Leno’s save fell kindly.

And if that goal left the Reds bench happy, their second will have no doubt delighted as Robertson got on the end of his fellow full-back Alexander-Arnold’s cross to poke home.

“Our dream team goal is that Trent comes through and Robbo scores,” assistant boss Pep Linders once said of the influential full-backs. It was a dream that came true for him when they combined against Red Bull Salzburg nearly a year ago.

And the most complete set of full-backs in the game today linked up once more to give their side the lead as Robertson ghosted into the box to meet the impressive Alexander-Arnold’s delivery.

Twenty-five assists between them last season, the pair have collectively helped redefine how teams try to use their full-backs, with more importance than ever placed on the contributions of those at right and left-back.

Liverpool have the standard bearers for this particular advancement of the modern Premier League game however, and they showed it here as they helped turn the tide after an unjust opener from Lacazette.

After the break, Arsenal had a great chance to restore parity when Lacazette went clean through. The offside flag stayed down and the France international could only fire straight at Alisson who stood up expertly.

With just over 10 minutes to go, Klopp sent on Diogo Jota and James Milner for Naby Keita and Mane and it was an eventful cameo for the new man who could have had a hat-trick.

The £45m Portugal international has a tall task of breaking up the famed front three following his move from Wolves but this was a lively start that ended on the most perfect of notes.

After first having the temerity to shoot into the side netting after Salah’s brilliance to supply him, the Egyptian took it off his team-mate’s toe moments later to ruin a glorious chance. In the end, Jota settled for the one as he drilled a points-sealing effort into an empty Kop end late on.

Job done for Liverpool. Nine from nine. Part two will come later this week in the Carabao Cup, but this was the one they really wanted.