

But the tale that commands attention is Liverpool's £125m man . The towering Swede , prised from St. James' Park , hovers on the periphery after merely 18 competitive minutes against Kosovo on Monday.
Does the Dutchman dare disturb his winning formula? The dilemma is compounded by the irrepressible form of his current frontline , who have distinguished Liverpool's immaculate start .
For Scott Parker's Burnley , this represents a severe test of their top-flight mettle . Their restoration to English football's top table has produced mixed results – honourable losses at Tottenham and Manchester United sandwiching a determined victory against fellow promotees Sunderland.
Burnley's backline, so miserly in the Championship with just 16 goals conceded in 46 matches , has already conceded six in three Premier League outings. The transition has been stark .
Previous encounters provide scant encouragement for Parker's men. Half a dozen successive reversals at Turf Moor against these opponents suggests a sequence that seems likely to persist.
Yet football's beauty lies in its unpredictability . The gulf in resources between these clubs – symbolized by Isak's fee eclipsing Burnley's entire summer outlay – matters little once the battle commences .
The champions will recognize the softest fixture in a exacting sequence that continues with Diego Simeone's warriors visiting Merseyside before the emotional cauldron of a contest against their nearest neighbors.
