“Liverpool, Liverpool, best league,” was the booming shout from the Kop. Arne Slot responded with a clenched fist in their direction.

The Dutch coach has had some exciting moments since taking over from Jürgen Klopp. He has already found fame at Old Trafford and San Siro. He saw his team beat Chelsea at home and secure a valuable point at Arsenal.

But this win over Brighton felt different. This was the first time he really felt the power of Anfield.

For 45 minutes, Slots Liverpool was terrible. Their lifeless, disjointed and error-filled performance in the first half lacked any redeeming qualities. The loss of Ibrahima Konate after captain Virgil van Dijk accidentally stepped on his left arm was the icing on a tasteless cake.

The only saving grace at the break was that Brighton had somehow failed to improve on Ferdi Kadioglu's successful opener. “We didn’t show what happened at all in the first half. “We weren’t there,” Slot admitted.

The feeling of collective fear in the stands was unmistakable. Arsenal had been beaten at Newcastle and Manchester City were heading for a shock defeat at Bournemouth. There was a growing danger that a golden opportunity to take advantage would be carelessly wasted.

But then came the transformation. Both on and off the pitch, Liverpool were a different beast in the second half.

Slot's players triggered it with greater urgency, playing with higher tempo and intensity as they increased the pressure. Their supporters responded by providing the soundtrack. This was Anfield at its prickly, bellicose side – inspiring and intimidating at the same time.

Cody Gakpo restored parity and then Mohamed Salah fired a thunderous strike beyond Bart Verbruggen – the Egyptian's 48th decisive goal in the Premier League.

Salah gives Liverpool the lead that took them back to the top of the Premier League (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

“I had only experienced the atmosphere on television and now I have experienced it in person,” said Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler. “It was loud, a great atmosphere, wild, but you have to stay calm and keep playing from the back. We couldn’t find solutions and Liverpool’s dominance continued to grow.”

After winning 48 percent of duels before the break, Liverpool won 70 percent of them in the second half.

“We have changed a bit tactically, but that has nothing to do with us coming out stronger,” said Slot. “It was mainly because our players showed a different attitude and a different intensity.

“When things go against you, you have to show up. Winners always do. Fortunately, we have many winners on our team. The crowd was incredible in the second half. This is the loudest it’s been since I’ve been here.”

It is five years to the day since Liverpool secured a dramatic 2-1 win at Villa Park thanks to late goals from Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane to maintain a six-point lead at the top. This proved to be a crucial triumph on the way to ending the club's 30-year title drought.

Only time will tell the true significance of Saturday's events, but there were obvious parallels as Liverpool pulled themselves out of the hole in thrilling fashion.

Few expected Slot to oversee a title challenge this season. Common sense suggested that after Klopp there would be a transition period where a top-four finish would be the priority, but the discussion has shifted. Expectations are exceeded.

There, Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League, two points ahead of City and seven ahead of Arsenal. Slot has won 13 of his 15 games as manager – the handover wasn't even as smooth as it was when Bill Shankly passed the baton to Bob Paisley half a century ago.

Slot's impact since his arrival at Feyenoord has been remarkable – so understated, so impressive. So much of what he has touched so far has turned to gold.

Players who lost their way when Klopp's final season as manager collapsed in the spring have been given new energy. Slot did himself no favors by attributing Liverpo0l's second-half comeback to a change in player mindset.

(Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

His changes also made a big difference. Joe Gomez, who wasn't even on the bench in Ipswich's opening weekend, was outstanding after being named ahead of Jarell Quansah as a replacement for the injured Konate. Those on the fringes keep coming forward when called upon, and that's a testament to the environment Slot has created.

He went all out when he brought in Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. It was effectively a four-pronged attack and within six minutes of this double substitution Liverpool had gone from a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 lead.

Once Slot had the lead, he replaced Darwin Nunez with Wataru Endo – a smart move that would ensure the hosts maintained their slim lead. Job done.

“In the second half, I don’t think anyone deserved to be eliminated. “In the first half they almost all deserved to be eliminated,” Slot stated matter-of-factly.

This season's title race was billed as a direct penalty shootout between City and Arsenal. But when both unexpectedly stumble, the door opens for Liverpool. Can they walk through?

There is still a long way to go for them and they will need some luck with injuries, but the fact that they have demonstrated the ability to both win with grace and persevere when not at their best certainly bodes well. This squad was close last season before crashing and will be better for this experience.

Joe Gomez impressed as a substitute against Brighton (Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

There is certainly no danger of Slot, who became the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his first 10 top-flight games in charge, getting carried away. He remained calm and composed amid the noise of Anfield.

“What I like about the last week is that we went behind in two games (against Arsenal and Brighton) but each time we managed to fight back on defense,” Slot added.

“This is the kind of win you need in a season if you want to be competitive. You can't always be the best team on the pitch from the first to the last second.

“But I also told the players after the game that for the 45 minutes of football we played in the first half, at the end you will be punished somewhere for playing like that.”

The room for improvement is clear, but what kind of situation is this? The belief generated by a day like Saturday can turbocharge a campaign.

(Header photo: Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)