Trent Alexander-Arnold insists Liverpool made it look 'easy' in victories over Real Madrid & Man City - but defender explains why Pep Guardiola's side aren't out of the title race

Liverpool have enjoyed a stunning start to the season and are top of both the Premier League table and the Champions League league phase. Within a week, they beat both Real Madrid, a club with whom Alexander-Arnold has been continually linked, and Manchester City 2-0, and Alexander-Arnold believes those victories have set a precedent for just how good they can be.

The England international was benched for the clash with Real due to injury, although he started the victory over City. Nevertheless, he remains insistent that Arne Slot's side can only go from strength to strength, although he has challenged his team-mates to keep up their consistency, having followed their two wins with a 3-3 draw against Newcastle, as he is sure City, who are eight points behind, cannot yet be counted out of the title race.

Alexander-Arnold toldSky Sports when asked if Liverpool were making it "look easy": "Yeah, especially the two games against Real Madrid and Manchester City. Of course they're not easy, but when you are able to make it look that way, it just shows the quality of the players and the team and the understanding that we've got.

"So the strength is there, we know we're capable of doing it. It's just about being consistent. The hardest thing in football is consistency. We're still not halfway through the season, so there's a long, long way to go."

He added: "I think that was just a statement week for the team, for the club. Probably they are our two biggest rivals in Europe and domestically over the last five or six years. I guess we've struggled to overcome them as a team. So to beat them both in the space of a few days was something that really sent a statement to everyone that we're a real team."

However, the defender isn't taking City's poor form for granted: "I've always said that if you've ever got a chance to beat City, it's always before Christmas. I think maybe they're still finding their feet in the first three, four months of the season. And then after Christmas going into New Year, at that point you can forget about beating them.

"Once they hit their stride, once it clicks around the new year, they'll go five months without losing a game and they might draw one or two. But they'll just win and just carry on winning. So I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case again. You can never rule them out and I wouldn't be surprised if they're back in the title race come the end of the season."

Liverpool face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday; a win could see the Reds extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points.