Liverpool sweep aside 10-man Chelsea thanks to Sadio Mané double

There was no chance of Jürgen Klopp relaxing, even when Liverpool were closing in on a polished victory over one of the sides hoping to reel them in this season. No technical area could hold the manager of the Premier League champions. Every time Klopp saw complacency setting in, he marched down the touchline to bellow at his players, who could have been forgiven for checking the scoreboard just to make sure that they were still ahead. But perhaps this demand for perfection is what it will take for Liverpool to keep the chasing pack at bay. Maybe Klopp wanted to kill the idea that his red machine is in need of some servicing. Either way, there does not appear to be anything wrong with Liverpool, who were hungry and intense as they swatted Chelsea aside, giving Frank Lampard’s side a nasty reality check two games into the new campaign. In the end suggestions Chelsea are ready to remove Liverpool’s crown looked premature. While Lampard has spent more than £200m on new signings, Kepa Arrizabalaga remains a problem in goal and his side’s defensive frailties flared when Andreas Christensen received a red card on the stroke of half-time for a clumsy foul on Sadio Mané, who went on to settle the contest with two sharp goals. The sense of a bitter rivalry stirring again had upped the ante. There has long been animosity between the clubs and there have been plenty of barbs since Klopp and Lampard clashed at Anfield in July. Lampard jabbed, complaining about Liverpool breaking a touchline code of conduct. Klopp hit back, talking about having to be different to clubs with oligarch owners. Full report here