Not only do Liverpool have an angry Manchester City to fend off, a side keen to reclaim their perch as the best in the country and one that could even boast the talents of the world's best player in Lionel Messi by October 5, they have a new-look Chelsea team chock full of fresh quality and a rapidly-improving Manchester United outfit who will also hope to enter title contention.

Arsenal and Tottenham are surely bound for more of a top-four fight than a battle for the crown but both sides are more than capable of tripping up Jurgen Klopp's charges as they seek a 20th title, with the Gunners now winning both of the two meetings with Liverpool since Mikel Arteta took charge.

The defending Premier League champions have a target on their backs and on top of the challenge they face from the likes of City, Chelsea and United - there is the fact the season is a month shorter and the players have had a very short summer break to contend with too.

And so questions around the depth of Liverpool's squad are justified. While they arguably have the strongest starting eleven in the Premier League, there are holes to be picked at in the Reds' squad behind their first eleven - and the loss to Arsenal showed there are three areas that can be improved upon.

Chelsea after Liverpool opted against meeting his release clause, showed that Klopp recognises the need for a fourth forward to not just offer support to the trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino but also challenge them for their places in the starting eleven.

Although Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi were absent from the bench at Wembley, even if they remain at the club for the new season, Liverpool still need another attacker capable of offering more off the bench when Mane and Salah aren't in full flow. That is what they needed from the bench against Arsenal but Harvey Elliott was their only natural wide-man in reserve.

Watford's Ismaila Sarr appears the ideal acquisition, given he is already a dangerous attacker - as he showed against Liverpool in March - but also has a ceiling that means he can become one of the best attackers in the English top-flight.

The 22-year-old would reportedly cost around £40million, which may be out of Liverpool's price range unless they can sell players, and managed five goals and six assists in 28 Premier League games last term - not a bad return for his first year in England and in a team that were relegated.

And his versatility, which means he is capable of playing in any of the three positions across a three-pronged attack, means regular minutes would be on offer even if he would not get as many league starts as he did at Watford