After impressive starts for Arne Slot at Liverpool and Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, the two meet at Anfield on Sunday in what is surely their biggest test so far.
Former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown, former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin join the Football News Show to preview the match, plus hear from fans of both clubs about the starts made under their respective new managers.
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
For week eight, he takes on legendary boxing manager Kellie Maloney.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Everyone is talking now about the tests coming up for Liverpool, who have started the season with what some people are calling gentler fixtures but, after this game, go to Emirates Stadium next weekend.
This is a tough game for them for starters. There has been a great rivalry between these two clubs in the past couple of decades and I don't think there will be much love lost when they meet on Sunday, either.
Can Chelsea go to Anfield and dominate Liverpool? I am not so sure. Alisson's injury is a blow for the Reds but Caoimhín Kelleher is a very capable back-up in goal.
At the other end, Arne Slot's playing style seems to suit Mohamed Salah and I am expecting Liverpool's attacking options to give them the edge.
Kellie's prediction: This is a big one. Chelsea are picking up a bit of form and Cole Palmer is a terrific player, but I am still backing Liverpool here. 2-1
Read the rest of their predictions, and have your own say here
The Football News Show looks at the key stats behind Liverpool and Chelsea's strong starts
Is Liverpool's impressive defensive record to the detriment to their attack?
How does Cole Palmer's Chelsea start stack up against the Premier League's best?
And how do Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca compare to their predecessors?
The Football News Show's Ben Croucher dives into the key stats behind Liverpool and Chelsea's impressive starts to the season, with the two sides meeting at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool and Chelsea have both made impressive starts to the Premier League season, but before their meeting at Anfield, The Football News Show asks if they are both in the running for the title.
Former Blues winger Pat Nevin outlines why he feels Arne Slot's Liverpool are - and why this season is too soon to expect silverware for Enzo Maresca and his team.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Premier League returns this weekend, with each club having played seven matches.
BBC Sport has looked at eight players that have performed better than fans may have expected this season.
Liverpool were close to signing a defensive midfielder in the summer, only for Martin Zubimendi to reject a move from Real Sociedad - but now it looks like they did not need him anyway.
Ryan Gravenberch only started 12 games in Jurgen Klopp's last season at Anfield, but the all-action Netherlands midfielder has looked a different player this season and thrived under Dutch boss Arne Slot.
Gravenberch, 22, has been instrumental to the Reds' start to the campaign that has included six wins in seven matches in the Premier League, as well as victories in both their Champions League games.
Did you know? Gravenberch is the only player in the Premier League this season to play 300 or more passes (476), make 100 or more carries (123), win possession 40 or more times (42) and win 40 or more duels (41).
Image source, Getty ImagesArne Slot took a bit of a "mental break" during the latest round of internationals before returning to Liverpool on Tuesday.
He could return home and try to switch off in the knowledge he had led his side to the top of the Premier League with six wins from their opening seven top-flight games after replacing Jurgen Klopp in the summer.
However, while Slot has consistently highlighted that his side have been helped by a favourable fixture list, he knows things are about to get a lot tougher.
Liverpool host Chelsea on Sunday and have league games against Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa before another international break in mid-November.
In that time, they will also play Brighton in the Carabao Cup as well as RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League during a run which will be a voyage of discovery for Slot and his side.
"We have to judge us as a team after this spell of games," said the Dutchman. "Then we know better how we act and how we perform if we play tough Champions League games and tough league games."
On the contracts front, if Liverpool fans are growing increasingly nervous about the deals of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah running out next summer, then Slot did not have much in the way of calming those concerns.
He did say the trio must be doing well if people want them to extend their contracts but he had no update on the situation.
Image source, OptaWith the October international break now firmly in the rearview mirror, Opta Analyst, external have turned their attention to the next four Premier League fixtures.
Here, they have given each team a ranking between 80 and 100 and then found the average to determine to difficulty of the schedule.
Liverpool's opening seven matches were ranked the easiest in the league, but their upcoming four are the fourth-toughest in the division. They will face Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Brighton, with an average opponent strength of 91.4 before the next international break.
Fellow early pacesetters Arsenal also have challenging fixtures, playing Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea with an average rating of 90.7, while Manchester City's next four against Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Brighton are ranked the third-easiest by Opta.
Chelsea and Brighton have the second-hardest and third-hardest runs respectively, a real test given the promising starts for their new managers Enzo Maresca and Fabian Hurzeler.
At the other end of the table, Leicester - who recently secured their first win of the season against Bournemouth - have a chance to build with the easiest run in the division. They face Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Manchester United.
Fellow promoted side Ipswich will hope to pick up their first win of the season during a run of games that is ranked the fifth-easiest.
Image source, Getty ImagesEarlier, we asked you to identify the former Liverpool player from their Premier League statistics playing for the club.
The correct answer was Rickie Lambert.
Arne Slot says it is "a bit uncommon" for goalkeepers to suffer from muscle injuries but the dense fixture schedule can heighten the risk.
Liverpool will be without first choice keeper Alisson for Sunday's Premier League fixture against Chelsea and, while Slot has no issue with lunchtime kick-offs in principle, he does think congestion can cause problems.
"What might be something to think about for the English FA, is if you play Wednesday evening in the Champions League then playing at 12.30pm on the Saturday, it might be a disadvantage when it comes to injuries," said Slot.
"If you play so shortly after then that might have to be something we take into consideration."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha believes if Liverpool can come through the next week picking up "big results" in their three games, people cannot doubt the Reds' chances of success this season.
Arne Slot's side host Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, before a Champions League tie against RB Leipzig on Wednesday and a trip to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the league on 27 October.
Speaking on the Planet Premier League podcast, Onuoha said: "I'm still a believer that Liverpool are rightly favourites against Chelsea, but to have this game and then the next domestic game to be Arsenal away - those are two tough tests.
"This is a Chelsea side that have probably outperformed what a lot of people believed they could be.
"It's still early but one thing they have going in their favour is they are the second top scorers in the division and have 10 of those goals away from home. They won't have any fear going to Anfield because they have form and belief.
"Liverpool have been very good defensively, but here comes a really tough challenge. I'm more interested in seeing how they defend against Chelsea rather than their attacking side - because they're always capable of scoring.
"With Leipzig in midweek as well, it's a really good week to see where Liverpool are at. It's not definitive, but how will Slot pick his teams and set up for these three different games?
"If they can come out of these with big results, why would anyone doubt them?"
Listen to the full episode here
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool head coach Arne Slot says captain Virgil van Dijk "has been crucial" to the team's excellent start to the season.
Van Dijk has played every minute for the Reds since Slot arrived in the summer with the Netherlands captain making a huge contribution to the best defensive record in the league so far.
"We all see how good he still is and how much he contributes to our offensive style," Slot said. "What you don’t see, and I do see, is how important he is in the training sessions.
"He is the most loud and he brings a lot of energy and quality into the sessions. What you see at the weekends is what I also see during the week and that is what you want to see.
"He is definitely our leader."
Listen to full commentary of Liverpool v Chelsea from 16:30 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live
Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Chelsea (kick-off 16:30 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
He said there "are quite a few issues" with the players who have come back from their international teams, so they will be assessed after their first training session back together on Friday.
Goalkeeper Alisson will be sidelined "for weeks" with a muscle injury which they "are looking into" for causes of as it is uncommon in his position of play.
He said the next cluster of fixtures - in all competitions - will give them the opportunity "to be judged" on how they can handle European and league games. Slot added: "The only ones who show they can do it are Manchester City and Arsenal. Now it is up to us."
On opponents Chelsea: "It is a challenge. If you want to achieve something in a season then you have to be defensively stable. We have been up until now, but now we face Chelsea who have a lot of talented individuals to try to manage and control."
He said he was pleased for Conor Bradley, who captained Northern Ireland during the international break, and says "there is going to be a bright future for him as he is a very good player and we need those bright players here at Liverpool".
On captain Virgil van Dijk: "He has been crucial for us. What you don't see and I do see is how important he is on the training ground. He is definitely our leader."
In response to criticism of the centre-back returning from international duty early: "Players and managers need these mental breaks. It is normal."
On Trent Alexander-Arnold playing as left-back for England: "Good players will always find their way into the team. The national team has very good players and Trent is one of them."
More from Slot on Alexander-Arnold's Reds performances: "He has been very good for us. He was and is still important in the attacking part of our game and I like the way he has defended. He has made a step up in that perspective."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Guess the former Liverpool player from their Premier League statistics at the club:
Years at club: 2014-2015
National team: England
Position: Striker
Appearances: 25
Goals: 2
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST
Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesAre Liverpool realistic title contenders?
That is a question the next three weeks or so will play a big part in answering as the Reds face a crunch run of seven games in 21 days, starting with the visit of Chelsea on Sunday.
After hosting the Blues, the Liverpool will play Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa in the league, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and Brighton again in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is due to speak to the media at 09:00 BST before Chelsea come to Anfield, and we will find out how much of a test of credentials he thinks that game will be for his top-of-the-table side.
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah should be fresh for the upcoming fixtures after they returned early from international duty.
Centre-back Van Dijk was sent off in the Netherlands' Nations League game against Hungary and forward Salah scored for Egypt in a 2-0 victory over Mauritania in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying - both on Friday, 11 October - before they were released by their countries.
One player not available is keeper Alisson, who is expected to be out with a hamstring injury until the next international break in November at the earliest.
Caoimhin Kelleher is set to replace the goalkeeper and he will have another chance to prove he can step up and become a number one at Liverpool or elsewhere.
It is still all quiet on the contracts front when it comes to Trent-Alexander Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk extending their deals beyond next summer so has Slot got any update on that? We will find out later.
Come back to this page later for all the key lines from Slot's news conference
Image source, OptaAfter the October international break, the Opta supercomputer, external has updated its projected final Premier League table.
It is only seven matches into the campaign so much can still change but the season is beginning to take shape. The supercomputer simulates thousands of seasons and takes the percentage each side finishes in each league position.
As at the start of the campaign, Manchester City remain favourites for the title, but the supercomputer is not as convinced, suggesting the chance of them winning a fifth in a row has fallen from 82.2% to 69.4% of simulations.
Arsenal are still the second favourites and after a strong start have seen their chances improve from 12.2% to 19.6%.
Current leaders Liverpool are currently projected to win their second Premier League title in 10.8% of simulations, which is more than double their pre-season projection of 5.1%.
According to Opta, Chelsea are the only other side to have any chance, but Enzo Maresca's side won the title in only 140 of the 10,000 simulations!
The Blues are fancied to finish in the top four though, making the Champions League places 37.9% of the time.
Image source, Getty ImagesMatt Addison believes if Liverpool can win two of their next three games, it "would be a statement" that shows they are capable of winning the Premier League title this season.
Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside, Addison from Liverpool.com spoke about Liverpool's upcoming run and said: "I'm excited - it's going to be interesting to see if Liverpool can control games the way that they have, or whether that was to do with the lesser opposition, or whether it's a new style.
"Chelsea at the weekend will be an acid test to see where Liverpool are up to, if Liverpool can win and win by a couple of goals then maybe the conversation around a title push may be one the rest of the country will be thinking about.
"The only thing that stops it up to this point is they've not beaten some of the big teams - but they've not had to play them yet."
Addison believes there are reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming fixtures, adding: "Even though it's a tough fixture list, on a case-by-case one-off basis, there's not many of those games you think Liverpool can't win or won't have a really good chance of coming out on top in - I'm excited, I'm intrigued, I don't think there's any reason to be scared.
"There's a good chance we might know [their chances of success] by the end of next week. If they can maybe win two of the three - I think that would be a statement."
The wider world might be surprised by who Liverpool's fastest player has been this season.
But do you know?
It's not someone at the top end of the pitch...
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool full-back Conor Bradley has said coming up against Chelsea will always be a "special" fixture.
A youthful Reds side beat the Blues in last season's Carabao Cup final, while Chelsea were also the opposition against whom the Northern Ireland international scored his first Liverpool goal in January.
The 21-year-old said: "I didn't really expect to start because Trent [Alexander-Arnold] was back, but the gaffer [Jurgen Klopp] put trust in me to play. I used that in the game and went into it full of confidence.
"It was a surreal night scoring my first goal. I remember making a tackle and winning a free-kick and then the Kop was singing my name. I can't describe in words what that felt like.
"It's definitely one of the most special nights, my mates were over for it and I remember going back home after it and I was thinking 'what has just happened?'"
Liverpool head into the weekend top of the Premier League after winning six of their first seven league fixtures under Arne Slot.
However, the Reds face a tough week as a Champions League game against RB Leipzig is sandwiched by Premier League fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Bradley added: "It's always going to be a special fixture for me when we play [Chelsea] but I have to forget about that now and focus on Sunday as it's another big game for us.
"We're top of the table at the moment and we want to stay there. We have tough fixtures coming up but we have to focus on the next game. We've had a really good start and played some good football.
"It's going to be a step up in level now but we're all relishing it. I can't wait for it."
Full commentary of Liverpool v Chelsea on BBC Radio 5 Live from 16:30 BST on Sunday
Image source, Getty ImagesIt may still be early days, but Liverpool and Chelsea are preparing to face each other in a crunch Premier League game at Anfield on Sunday.
While they go head to head on the pitch, we have asked our fan writers for each club to go head to head off it.
Each fan got to ask three questions to each other before the big game...
Josh Sexton
Fan writer
Here is what our Reds fan Josh Sexton had to say in response to questions from our Blues fan Will Faulks.
What do you make of Enzo Maresca's beginnings at Chelsea compared to Arne Slot's at Liverpool?
Both Maresca and Slot have had relatively promising starts at their new clubs, especially when you consider the size of the job that both were inheriting - in very different ways.
It is little secret that Maresca was inheriting more of a mess in terms of his new squad, but both seem to have already implemented their ideas and have their teams playing some great football at times.
What are Liverpool's weaknesses which Chelsea can try to take advantage of this weekend - and what are their main strengths?
Liverpool's biggest weakness so far this season is concentration over 90 minutes.
There will always be a point within games where either tired minds or legs kick in and the Reds conspire to shoot themselves in the foot, which is where Chelsea may be able to capitalise.
In terms of strengths, Slot's side are mostly great in possession, do not allow teams to create too many big chances and are absolute menaces in the offensive transition - particularly through Ryan Gravenberch, who has been a revelation this campaign.
Apart from Cole Palmer, if you could take one player from this Chelsea team, who would it be?
I am not even sure I could have confidently said Palmer, because Mohamed Salah plays the same position!
The obvious answer is Moises Caicedo, since Liverpool were Chelsea's closest rival for his signature.
Although I do not think he has necessarily justified the price tag yet (in fairness to him, perhaps that is an impossible task), I would still argue it is generally the area of the squad where the Reds require more natural options as the season progresses.
Josh Sexton can be found at The Anfield Wrap, external
