Having started the Premier League season with genuine title aspirations barely two months ago, Liverpool have been forced to drastically scale back their ambitions before the Halloween costumes have even been picked out.
And perhaps what will irritate most is the identity of the team going a scarcely believable 14 points clear on Sunday evening. Liverpool are used to looking up at sizable deficits to Manchester City at the top of the English game. In recent years it's been the thing that has inspired and propelled them towards some of their most supremely consistent runs of form.
But as the Reds stare up once more towards the top end of the table, they will see a Gunners side who have improved immeasurably since they failed to score in any of their four meetings last season. Oh yeah, and Pep Guardiola's men are still there too, just one point behind.
