Where does this leave Chelsea? They have been effective rather than spectacular so far, but Villas Boas will be secretly delighted the spotlight is off him so he can implement his master plan without distraction. Sturridge returned on the weekend and carried on his stellar form from last season, and Mata is already looking the real deal (you can`t really go wrong with a Spanish International).
Raul Meireles made an excellent debut and the pensioners secured a real coup by getting him on deadline day. Liverpool fans will rightly lament his departure but they will acknowledge a player of his calibre deserves regular football at a top club rather than languishing on the bench. These three have increased the pace and creativity of the attack tenfold. The Torres conundrum is ever present but all the mechanics are in place to get him working again.
Liverpool failed their acid test against Stoke but were desperately unlucky to do so. They might not be entirely happy with the results so far but Dalglish can no complaints about the general performances. They lack the ruthlessness of the top three, but the imminent return of Gerrard should help change that, and in Luis Suarez they have a player who is as good as anything in the league.
At present though it is all about Manchester. Most of us are counting down the weeks until the first derby, just as we cross off the days till the first classico. The way the top two have started gives us real hope that this season can be one of the best ever, not just for drama but for sheer quality.
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