Reds put City on notice
Liverpool lived up to their billing as the biggest threat to Manchester City retaining the Premier League title as both sides shone on the opening weekend of the season.
So often outgunned by the oil wealth of the Abu Dhabibacked City or commercial giants Manchester United in recent years, Liverpool were the biggest spenders in the transfer window, with a reported £170m (R3.1bn) splurge.
The first return on that investment came in Sunday’s 4-0 thrashing of West Ham.
But City showed just what a task overturning a 25-point deficit last season will be for Liverpool in outclassing Arsenal in a 2-0 win at the Emirates.
Mohammed Salah started where he left off from an incredible 44-goal debut campaign at Anfield by opening the scoring before Mane struck twice and Daniel Sturridge added a late fourth, seconds after arriving on the pitch.
Klopp conceded it had been impossible to ignore the excitement and expectation among the club’s fans that a near three-decade wait to win the league could come to an end.
That hype is because Liverpool have built from a position of strength.
After reaching the Champions League final last season, key areas of the team have been bolstered.
Midfielder Naby Keita was a bundle of energy and the star performer of the new boys that showed why Liverpool were willing to shell out £52.75m (R97m) and wait a year for the Guinean after agreeing a deal with Leipzig.