Liverpool have won their first three games with clean sheets, easing fears that new manager Arne Slott will not be able to follow in Jurgen Klopp's footsteps.
Then last weekend the Reds were beaten 1-0 by 11/1 underdogs Nottingham Forest at Anfield, talk of Liverpool as title favourites was replaced by scepticism about Slott's start to the season. The honeymoon was over.
Adding further pressure is the fact that the Reds must travel to Italy to take on AC Milan in their Champions League opener on Tuesday afternoon.
It's only four games in but it's clear Slott prefers control over chaos, marking a major tactical shift from Klopp, who was keen for his team to play attacking football that would generate plenty of goal-scoring chances at both ends of the pitch.
This is reflected in the numbers, with Liverpool averaging just two goals per game (goals conceded + goals conceded) under Slott, 1.34 fewer than their average under Klopp last season.
It's still early days but it feels like Liverpool are having to get used to the new world of being an under-team.
Play: Liverpool vs AC Milan under 2.5 (+130, DraftKings).
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Michael Lebov handicaps every sport except the Premier League, NHL, golf, NFL and NBA for the New York Post. He bets 49.73 units on the Premier League with an ROI of 7.17%.
