Liverpool should be the number 1 club when it comes to teams to compete for the title but it doesn't seem that way to me. The way and manner they handled the game against Palace is the best way to say they are not ready and they're going to get some backlash from rival fans if their new signings are not up to the task especially Hugo Ekitike. That aside, you made mentioned of the clubs to disturb for the title and I don't think Newcastle should be taken seriously, the others can be Arsenal included, I feel they might repeat same thing they did season before and after, hope not. I can still go for Manchester City because they know the right time to striker without the other clubs knowing what hit them but you see the Gunners, it only takes the grace of God to see the Arsenal team winning the title.
I think the new players brought in during this summer's transfer window will need time to adapt and find a sense of alignment with the game. Ekitike did contribute a goal in his debut match, but Liverpool had to admit that Crystal Palace were too difficult to beat, leading to a penalty shootout. Ekitike is still young, and I think he will be a striker who will make history for Liverpool.
I wouldn't consider Liverpool's failure in the Community Shield final to be a benchmark for inconsistent performances this season. Arne Slot knows how to manage a team well; I think he has a better strategy for developing the quality of his players, especially the new signings he made during the transfer window.
Crystal Palace was giving Liverpool the stubbornness they would never forget in a hurry and things Liverpool was suppose to bring to the game wasn't there at all, is as if the players are still not in the mood to play like before and having a hungry Crystal Palace team s another to be worried about before getting into this game and I saw Liverpool missing Diaz in that game, those crazy runs and how he distribute the ball is something they lacked in that game even Nunez too had a way of making things come around for the Reds, that sub was important after Hugo went off the pitch but nothing productive and that's when Nunez was suppose to come in.
When you say Hugo is still young I agree with you but this is not the time to be waiting for him to grow up, the league is just 2 days away from kick off and Liverpool need everybody to be in their toes so if he's still struggling to keep up then he better be fast about it because the battle ahead is going to be hard since he's the only striker they have at the moment until they some how get Isak to support him.
We should be honest about how things went for Slot in that community shield game, he was clueless at some point because the back up he needed wasn't there so how can he defend the title with the way the players played in a sluggish way? There's more to do in that squad unless we start seeing something different starting from Friday.