Arne Slot has UNLOCKED a new crucial Liverpool 'gene' | OneFootball

Liverpool have received a lot of flack for a team with four wins from four Premier League games.

For whatever reason, rival fans have felt inclined to voice their opinions of the Reds and a lot of naive views have been published to social media following the club's latest 1-0 victory over Burnley.

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The match at Turf Moor was decided by a last grasp penalty that was awarded for handball, a decision that many consider to have been 'fortunate' for Liverpool, when in reality it was one of the most blatant penalty offences you'll ever see, and the team have no control over the referee's call.

Were Liverpool going to win the contest without the penalty? No, is the short answer. But there is a lot of context behind Sunday's performance and the other games that have been decided in similar ways, which no one feels is important to consider. Instead, the winning streak is 'unsustainable'.

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Here's a breakdown of why 'it can' - Mick McCarthy style - is a perfectly respectable answer for a Liverpool fan to give to the question everyone's asking right now - 'it can't go on like this can it?'

Slot has unlocked 'the champions' gene'

Across four games this season, the Reds have taken 12 points. They're the only team in the league to still have a perfect record. Nine goals have been scored so far, with only four goals conceded. Both Arsenal and Tottenham have better defensive records, but the only goal they each let in led to a loss.

The main reason why Liverpool are getting flack is because of the nature of the results. In all four games, at least one goal has come after the 80th minute, suggesting a lacking of cutting edge.

Federico Cheisa scored the third goal against Bournemouth off the bench prior to Mohamed Salah adding the cherry on top in the last minute to seal a 4-2 win. Rio Ngumoha scored in the 100th minute against Newcastle to edge past Eddie Howe's 10-man Magpies 3-2. Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick against Arsenal split the difference 1-0 and Salah's penalty at Burnley was decisive.

Looked at from a distance, it's understandable to consider such 'luck' as 'unsustainable', but that ignores all the other details that paint a very different picture to the agendas rival fans run with.

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Against Bournemouth, the game was open. 1.70xg was conceded compared to 2.21xg created. Three big chances were created apiece, and both sides missed two each. The Reds got away with one.

Furthermore, the second half performance at a hostile St James' Park was underwhelming - just 0.69xg and two big chances were created to 10-man Newcastle's 0.98xg and four big chances. But one team made their attacking efforts count and the other didn't. In the end, that's football.

We then get to the Arsenal contest, where 20 shots were taken between the two sides, hardly a thriller. The chess match needed someone to make a mistake and in the end, giving Szoboszlai a free-kick from 30 yards away was enough. Arsenal fans will know the importance of set pieces.

And then Sunday, where 94 minutes of dogged resistance was broken with an inexcusable penalty offence, giving the Reds something to show for their three big chances, 2.45xg, and 81% possession.

Nine goals have come from 5.9xg in those four encounters, with two clean sheets secured as well.

The context that is often missed is just how much of Liverpool's XI has been overturned. It's easy to point to the £450m spent in the summer, but that has replaced players, not accumulated depth.

Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz have featured in all four games, with Frimpong also making an appearances. Tactics have changed since last season, there's now uncertainty in the camp, rather than confidence. No one has gelled yet - there's very little cohesion to be seen.

Taking your time in the Premier League isn't really a privilege you're offered. People like to make snap judgements and once the season has started, the scheduled matches come thick and fast.

As such, taking four wins when the team hasn't been at its best, is surely an impressive feat, no?

In time, Alexander Isak will become a regular in the side. Wirtz hasn't made a Premier League goal contribution yet. You only need to look at the resources that Liverpool have available to burn to understand just how much potential the team has and how much they've performed below it so far.

Winning when you're not at your best is the 'performance of champions', it's a mentality. In the past, the narrative was 'Liverpool haven't played anyone good'. Now it's 'Liverpool haven't looked good when they've played'. Regardless of the outside noise, the results speak for themselves.

Upcoming matches will test Slot and the players' resolve, but if the floor of this side is four straight wins, then be sure to prepare yourself for the ceiling of this team, because we're in for a hell of a ride.