As Paris Saint-Germain visit Anfield, is this a season-defining run of games for Liverpool? Sam Drury assesses a key period for Jurgen Klopp...
To talk about a 'season-defining' run of games in September might seem premature and, in most seasons, it would be. After all, there are another eight months that could redefine the year, for better or worse.
As Liverpool prepare to begin their Champions League campaign with a mouth-watering clash against Paris Saint-Germain, though, it is hard to view the next three weeks as anything but for Jurgen Klopp's side.
PSG at Anfield is followed by another home game, against Southampton, and then things step up again. Chelsea are the visitors to L4 that midweek, for a third-round Carabao Cup tie, with the teams meeting for the second time in a week at Stamford Bridge on the Saturday.
The big games keep coming with a trip to Napoli four days later before Manchester City arrive on Merseyside on October 7 for the final game of a blockbuster run prior to the next international break.
Talk of a genuine title challenge intensified after four wins from four to start the season. Home games Liverpool were expected to win were won and the challenges of tricky away fixtures at Crystal Palace and Leicester were overcome.
Saturday's victory at Tottenham served only to strengthen their credentials as potential champions, the manner of the win as impressive as the result itself; despite a late flurry, the 2-1 score line somewhat flattered Mauricio Pochettino's men.
The issue facing Liverpool is that in City they are trying to overcome a side that dropped just 14 points last season. There can be no let up.
Moreover, it was following the September international break last season that any hopes Liverpool had of competing for the title faded.
Having won two of their first three league games, including a 4-0 win over Arsenal, and seen off Hoffenheim in a Champions League play-off before the domestic season was put on hold, they were thumped 5-0 at the Etihad in the first game back to start a run of just two wins in 10 in all competitions, culminating in a 4-1 defeat at Tottenham.
This is a very different Liverpool team. Twelve months ago it would have been inconceivable that they would reel off five wins on the spin without their fearsome front three playing a prominent role. So far this season, they've yet to really click into gear.
Given the challenges they face in the next six games, that will almost certainly have to change if they want maintain their 100 per cent record, or even stay unbeaten, but there is a growing assuredness about this Liverpool side, borne out of a defensive solidity few could have envisaged as they shipped four in a calamitous display at Wembley last October.
Liverpool are facing a tough run of games that culminates in Man City clash
Virgil van Dijk has been credited for much of the improvement, while, despite his blunder at Leicester, Alisson has been an eminently confident and reassuring presence between the sticks since arriving from Roma. Just as important has been the emergence of Joe Gomez at centre-back.
Having begun his Liverpool career at left-back and spent the majority of last season on the right-hand side of the defence, the 21-year-old has made a seamless transition into what many always assumed would be his long-term position and looks to have all the attributes to establish himself next to Van Dijk at the heart of the Reds' defence and remain there for years to come.
Gomez and the rest of the defensive unit face their biggest test to date when Liverpool entertain PSG on Tuesday, with the French champions boasting one of the few frontlines in world football comparable to Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. If Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani can be contained then it would be a real feather in the cap for Gomez and co.
The fact is, each of the next six games will provide a stern examination of Liverpool.
Saturday's home game against Southampton would appear the easiest on paper, something even the most ardent Saints fan would have to admit, but given Stoke, West Brom and Burnley were among the seven sides to leave Anfield with a point last season, Klopp and his players will know that three points cannot be taken for granted.
Without wanting to second guess Mark Hughes' tactics too much, a comprehensive home win would go some way to altering the view that Liverpool can be blunted by a well-organised, deep-lying defence, anything less would only strengthen it.
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