Chelsea vs Liverpool: Mixed omens for the Reds’ perfect EPL start

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Liverpool head to Chelsea on Saturday for the biggest test of their perfect Premier League record at the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

The Blues also had five wins out of five heading into their last match, but Maurizio Sarri’s side stumbled to a 0-0 draw in a London derby against West Ham.

Eden Hazard’s stunning solo goal got them back to winning ways in Wednesday’s EFL Cup dress rehearsal for this weekend’s encounter – the only blemish for Jurgen Klopp’s men after a run which also included a dramatic 3-2 Champions League triumph over Paris Saint-Germain.

Here, we take a look at the other four sides to have had a maximum return after the first six games of a Premier League season. How did they do?

Newcastle United (1994-95)

Coincidentally, it was Liverpool who ended Newcastle’s streak at the start of the 1994-95 season as Kevin Keegan’s side – dubbed ‘the Entertainers’ – were held to a 1-1 draw at home against his former club. The Magpies, who hit 22 goals in their first six games, remained unbeaten until the end of October, but a 2-0 loss at Manchester United kicked off a poor run of form that yielded only two wins in almost three months of league action. The sale of Andy Cole to United was a major factor in their downturn and they only won two of their last nine league games, finishing in sixth place.

Chelsea (2005-06)

Having won the league the previous season, Jose Mourinho’s men made a flying start to their defence with nine straight wins, scoring 23 goals in the process and conceding only three times. The signings of Michael Essien and Shaun Wright-Phillips bolstered an already strong squad at Stamford Bridge and the Portuguese led the Blues to another Premier League title, finishing eight points clear of United despite ending the season with successive losses.

Chelsea (2009-10)

Although Manchester City’s 2017-18 record-smashing vintage may have something to say about it, there is an argument for claiming Chelsea’s 2009-10 season was the most impressive in Premier League history. Carlo Ancelotti’s side won their first six games and maintained momentum throughout the campaign, pipping Alex Ferguson’s United to the title by a single point after a thrilling season. Ancelotti’s side hit 103 goals, putting seven past Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke City at the Bridge before going one better on the final day, obliterating Wigan Athletic 8-0. Chelsea also did the double that year, beating Portsmouth in the FA Cup final.

Manchester City (2016-17)

Pep Guardiola made the Premier League look easy on his arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, racking up six straight wins before a 2-0 loss at Tottenham. There had been warning signs, though, as City kept just a single clean sheet in that run as Claudio Bravo struggled after being signed from Barcelona to replace Joe Hart. City lost four out of eight games in a run between December and January, which ultimately meant a strong end to the season, with 20 points taken out of the last 24 available, was meaningless. City finished third, 15 points behind champions Chelsea, and Guardiola was left without silverware.

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Dylan