Liverpool

Liverpool have tried to move on from the Salah era in one summer, and the early evidence says it is working.

Andoni Iraola took over on 4 June on a two-year deal. The club that he inherited lost Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson on free transfers, Ibrahima Konaté on a free to Real Madrid, and Curtis Jones to Inter for £25.7m. In came Jérémy Jacquet (£55m), Víctor Muñoz (£34.5m), Ronald Araújo on loan from Barcelona and, on 31 August, Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for £106m, rising to £123m with add-ons.

Form and standing

Fifth in the table on 15 points from eight games, one behind fourth-placed Chelsea and six behind City and Arsenal at the top. They have won four, drawn three and lost one. The last five league games read D, W, L, W, W: a goalless draw with Fulham, a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, a 0-3 home defeat by Manchester City on 11 October, then victories at Brentford (2-1) and over Brighton at Anfield (2-0). Iraola's first league win at Anfield took four attempts. In Europe they have beaten Atlético Madrid 2-1, won 6-3 at LASK and beaten Villarreal 4-3. They got past Chelsea on penalties after a 1-1 in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, and a quarter-final against Bournemouth, Iraola's old club, follows in December.

The players

• Alexander Isak, six league goals and more than half of Liverpool's total. Only Haaland had more in the division going into this weekend.
• Alexis Mac Allister, who The Guardian says has turned his contract doubts around with his form. He scored twice in the Villarreal comeback.
• Florian Wirtz, the expensive creator, and Dominik Szoboszlai, who signed a new contract in July and could return against Arsenal, according to The Guardian.
• Virgil van Dijk, captain.

Owners and money

Fenway Sports Group still run the club, but on 14 August they agreed to sell 38% to 1892 Holdings, a consortium led by Amit Bhatia that includes Jeff Bezos (represented by Bryan Baum), Eduardo Saverin and the Mittal family. Free transfers took wages off the bill on the way out. On the way in, three signings cost almost £196m before add-ons. Isak, the British-record arrival from Newcastle in 2025 at a reported £125m, is now starting to repay that price, BBC Sport suggests. The question for the next accounts is how much of the new stake's money is spent on the pitch and how much sits in reserve.

The season so far

Two draws to start (2-2 at Newcastle, 2-2 with Forest at Anfield), then an unbeaten September in the league, and only City have beaten them in any competition. Set pieces have helped: The Guardian notes they have not conceded from one in the league.

Next up

Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday 1 November. A win would cut the gap at the top to three points and make it three league wins in a row. The Guardian points out that Arsenal have not won at Liverpool in 13 league games.