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Three down, 35 to go.

It may be early days for Liverpool in the 2014-15 Premier League season but the break for international fixtures provides a perfect opportunity to review what we’ve already witnessed in the first three games of the campaign.

In the 270 minutes of football we’ve seen so far, the Reds have edged past Southampton and soundly beaten Spurs - either side of a 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium to champions Manchester City.

Seven of Brendan Rodgers’ nine summer have made their debuts (Adam Lallana will soon make that eight, though we’ll have to wait until next season to see Divock Origi), while some - though not all - of last season’s star men have carried on from where they left off in 2013-14.

So, what have we learned so far?

Sterling’s a star - for club and country

What a difference a year makes. This time in 2013, Raheem Sterling was yet to make a Premier League appearance for the Reds and was being warned by Rodgers to “stabilise his life” after being embroiled in too many off-the-field issues.

The teenage forward heeded his manager’s advice, nailed down a regular starting role in December and emerged as a key creative force in the Reds’ push for the title.

By April, Sterling was being hailed as “the best young player in Europe” by Rodgers.

Not surprisingly, a World Cup call-up followed and Sterling - still only 19 - provided some of the brighter moments in what was an otherwise disappointing campaign for England in Brazil.

The fleet-footed attacker shows no sign of burnout.

He has carried last season’s club form into the 2014-15 campaign, scoring against Southampton and Spurs, and looks to be the player most likely to succeed Suarez as the Reds' main attacking talisman.

Roy Hodgson was clearly taking note and he deployed Sterling at the ‘tip’ of a diamond-shaped midfield for the 2-0 win over Switzerland - effectively copying the formation which brings the best out of the teenager at club level. A huge responsibility for one so young.

Still three months away from his 20th birthday, Sterling is now a pivotal figure for both club and country. Under Rodgers’ astute management, he can continue to flourish.

The squad looks stronger - even without Luis Suarez

There is strength in numbers and, unlike last season, the Reds now have a squad which looks well equipped in all departments.

Replacing Luis Suarez was always going to be an almost impossible task, so Rodgers decided against going down the eggs-in-one-basket, “marquee signing” route this summer. Instead he spread £116m - a record summer outlay for the Reds - across nine signings, bolstering every outfield department.

The result? Much greater options.

Glen Johnson was injured for the trip to Spurs but Liverpool still looked strong in both full-back slots, thanks to Alberto Moreno and Javier Manquillo.

A pre-season injury to £25m man Adam Lallana has not blunted the Reds creative power, though perhaps his coolness in possession was missed at the Etihad. Further forward, Daniel Sturridge is facing a spell on the sidelines which simply means Mario Balotelli and/or Rickie Lambert can fill in for the England man.

The true test of the Reds' squad strength lies in the season - seasons, even - ahead. But, for now, it's nice to have more than just a Plan A.

Some will take time to settle

The Manchester City result is the only blot in the Reds’ early-season formbook. It was a performance which underlined how this is a reshaped team with some players still feeling their way in to their new surroundings.

Alberto Moreno was at fault for City’s first goal - he’d make amends at White Hart Lane the following Sunday - while the centre-back pairing of Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel were unsettled too often and could have clearly done without such a challenging fixture so early in their partnership.

Other summer arrivals, the likes of Emre Can and Lazar Markovic, are being bedded in gently. Their time to shine will come as the season progresses.

There’s more to come from Coutinho

The Brazilian turned in some sparkling pre-season displays but has so far failed to transfer that form into the Premier League campaign.

Subdued against Southampton and Manchester City, Coutinho was dropped to the bench for the 3-0 win at Spurs as Rodgers’ diamond formation sparkled.

Coutinho has shown on enough occasions during his time at Anfield what a classy operator he is, but it hasn’t happened for him so far this season. Perhaps his recent international recall can help get him firing.

Europe will be a rollercoaster ride

The Reds are back where they belong, at the top table of European competition - and an intriguing draw has really whetted the appetite of Reds fans.

Liverpool’s Group B opponents each offer something different - holders Real Madrid add no end of glitz and glamour, Swiss side Basel will pose a stern but not insurmountable test, while Bulgaria’s PFC Ludogorets Razgrad provide the kind of “trip into the unknown” reminiscent of European campaigns from the 60s and 70s.

So... are you ready for a European tour?