According to Arne Slot, it is still too early to make a judgment about Liverpool’s qualities or the new Champions League format. It is not too early to make a judgment about the launch of Slot. Remarkable because Liverpool’s head coach achieved another win and another record on an unnecessarily complicated evening in Leipzig.

For the first time in their illustrious history, Liverpool have won 11 of the first 12 games of a season and the first six away games since the start of a season. Most recently they managed a display from Darwin Núñez against the club soon to be managed by Jürgen Klopp, Red Bull’s new boss of global football, and a couple of late slips against a Leipzig team still chasing their first point in the Champions League hopes league. Liverpool have nine out of nine possible teams and are almost through to the next phase of the competition.

“We should be proud,” Slot said of the two records. “Because so many great teams have worn this jersey and there have been so many great managers at the club, it is almost impossible and always nice to achieve something that has never been achieved before.” But there is something much nicer than records , and you know what I mean by that: trophies.”

Slot was far more impressed with this performance than Sunday’s win against Chelsea, particularly with the visitors’ ability to play through pressing and possession. His only criticism was the number of clear chances missed. Leipzig had hope until the end, they could have been eliminated by half time. “It’s a shame that at the end of a game like this, big roles are needed from the two central defenders and the goalkeeper,” said Slot. “A game like that should have been ours after 60-70 minutes.”

There were parallels here with Chelsea’s performance. Liverpool once again started passively and were dominated by a Leipzig team that posed more of a threat than the visitors to Anfield last Sunday. Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko both missed good early chances. Amadou Haidara tested Caoimhín Kelleher from a short corner and Sesko steered an ambitious effort wide after keeping Kelleher’s weak header in play. Lois Openda found the top corner with a powerful shot, but was clearly offside when she received Simons’ pass.

Then Liverpool struck, the quality of their front line couldn’t be contained for too long and the balance of the game changed in an instant. Cody Gakpo kept his place ahead of Luis Díaz and confirmed Slot’s selection with a good performance. The Netherlands international was involved in the breakthrough, exchanging passes with Kostas Tsimikas, who sent a cross from the baseline over Castello Lukeba to Mohamed Salah. Salah’s well-placed header was destined for the far corner, but Núñez did what any goalscorer should do and made the finishing touch off the line for the decisive goal.

Liverpool immediately took control. Moments later, Núñez should have had a second when Gakpo, released by a great cross pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold, rolled a perfect cross towards the Uruguayan with the outside of his foot. The center forward struck cleanly, but former Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi deflected his header from point-blank range.

Leipzig captain Willi Orban was lucky not to concede a penalty when he caught Núñez as the striker shot into the box. Orban seemed unsure whether to commit as Núñez sprinted in from the left but stuck out a leg and caught the striker as he tumbled off the pitch. But the Swiss referee Sandro Scharer rejected the appeal for a penalty and was supported by the VAR. Maybe they thought Núñez had made the contact. If so, he should have cautioned the striker after previously showing a disbelieving Alexis Mac Allister a yellow card for an apparent dive. Both Núñez and Mac Allister made their feelings clear to the referee as they left the pitch at half-time.

Gulacsi saved Leipzig again at the start of the second half after Núñez had once again done good work, clearly an angry man on a mission. The center forward seized a loose ball from Benjamin Henrichs and stormed to the byline before deflecting a cross that Arthur Vermeeren and Lukeba should have parried away. They made a play of it and ran the ball to the unmarked Gakpo. He seemed sure to score, only for Gulacsi to parry with his right leg outstretched. The goalkeeper made another good save against Gakpo in the final moments.

Mac Allister hit the crossbar after a clever exchange with former Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai. Leipzig’s threat was often undermined by a poor final ball, but as Simons’ influence grew, the threat of an equalizer remained. Kelleher denied the hosts twice within a minute. Alisson’s deputy saved with his legs as Simons presented Sesko with a great chance, then acrobatically tipped over as Simons’ shot almost went past Núñez.

Leipzig almost equalized late on when Henrichs forced Kelleher into a low fingertip save. Openda tapped in the loose ball but failed a second time due to an offside flag. Slot began making changes ahead of Sunday’s trip to Arsenal and Liverpool deservedly maintained their 100 per cent Champions League record.