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Liverpool: Great start

Whether or not Liverpool will be strong enough to go on and win it remains to be seen, but I've got to say they have looked impressive so far.

Quotes of the week

Last season's head-to-head
Liverpool 0-0 Portsmouth
Porsmouth 2-1 Liverpool

Also see

• Portsmouth v Liverpool preview

I think it's a bit early to start talking about titles, but there's no doubt Liverpool have made a very promising start.

They haven't got off to such a flyer for years and you'd like to think on the evidence we've seen so far that they will get closer this season.

Whether or not they'll be strong enough to go on and win it remains to be seen, but I've got to say they have looked impressive so far.

The biggest difference for me is that Rafa Benitez has pretty much stuck with the same side. Their problem in the past is that in an attempt to rest players, he has chopped and changed at the start of the season and they have fallen behind the pace.

Yes, the players are fresh later on, but by then it is too late.

Sticking with the same side has its obvious benefits and now the Liverpool players know what to expect from their team-mates, where they want the ball and where they are likely to make their runs.

Playing week in, week out also instils belief in individuals which might have been missing in the past.

Fired-up

The signing of Fernando Torres has done the same. I do think Liverpool now know they have a top-drawer striker who will get them goals. He also means they have him, Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch and Andriy Voronin, all of whom are capable of scoring goals.

Quite who plays up there on Saturday, I am not sure. I hope Rafa sticks with the 4-4-2, but Fratton Park is a tough, tough place to go and with Steven Gerrard looking fit and fired up by those England results, they could well go with five across the middle.

They will, I'm sure, be met by a fired-up Pompey side. I see Harry Redknapp has been urging his players to get amongst the Liverpool lads and that has to be the right way to go.

They have done it so well against Manchester United in the past couple of seasons, but I did think against Arsenal the other week, Pompey sat back a little and perhaps paid them too much respect.

Portsmouth are at their best when they attack teams.

Flair

The signing of Papa Bouba Diop suggests that in doing that this season, they might have lost a little defensive strength, but I am not sure he will play too many home games and might well be used on the road more.

Harry's side are a different proposition on their own patch and they clearly possess enough attacking flair to cause Liverpool problems.

Kanu, John Utaka and Benjani have all contributed this season, the only problem they have is with David Nugent.

It does seem very, very strange that they are looking to off-load a big-money signing so soon after buying him. I haven't spoken to anyone on the south coast to find out the real story, but you wonder what has happened there.

Harry is as honest as they come and came out and said they would listen to offers, but maybe in this instance, he was too honest. Maybe he has seen something in training that he doesn't like, but clearly he isn't too keen on his big summer signing.

Now he is staying until January at least, it is up to Nugent to prove him wrong.

Le Tiss predicts

AWAY WIN - I fancy Portsmouth to give Liverpool a real run for their money, but the visitors looked very good against Derby the other week. OK, Derby were poor, but believe me when I say they were lucky it was only six! Pompey are a different league defensively and having Sol Campbell back will make them even harder to break down, because he is their organiser back there. This is going to be very, very tight, but I fancy a 2-1 away win.

Matt's main man

JERMAINE PENNANT (LIVERPOOL) - I think he has been very impressive so far this season. It looks like he's got a bit more belief to his game, because there's no doubt he's always had bags and bags of talent. Maybe starting every week has helped, but whatever the reason, he is a threat and his crossing and final ball have improved. You could be critical and say he needs to score more goals, but with four strikers doing that already, Pennant's job is all about making chances.