Liverpool: 5 Key Observations in Win over Bolton Wanderers

Liverpool had another impressive outing against the Bolton Wanderers. This was their 10th consecutive victory against Bolton.

The Reds improved to seven points with Saturday's victory. They got goals from Jordan Henderson, Martin Skrtel and Charlie Adam. They dominated the game from start to finish and showed for the third consecutive week that things will be different this season.

Here are five key observations from Liverpool's win on Saturday. 

Outstanding Additions

Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam have both played extremely well in the first three games. Charlie Adam scored his first goal of the season early in the second half to give Liverpool a 3-0 lead. 

Earlier on in the game, Suarez had a golden opportunity to score a goal. However, he set up an amazing goal on a cross. Jordan Henderson scored off Stewart Downing's rebound.

Suarez has been game changing in every match. His great speed and agility gives Liverpool an edge over other teams, and he's showing that he is worth the €26 million the Reds paid to acquire him.

Even Jordan Henderson, who was a summer transfer for Liverpool, got on the scoresheet for the first time. So far, the additions that Liverpool made over the summer have paid off, and they're showing that they are a different club from last year's team.

Taking Care of Business

In the opening match against Sunderland, Liverpool played a stellar match but only ended up with a point. This was a team they should have defeated and captured three points against, but they didn't finish on key opportunities, and this resulted in a draw.

On Saturday, even after Liverpool scored the first goal of the match and controlled the pace in the first half, they kept their foot on the gas pedal. They kept the ball in the attacking zone and forced many scoring chances. After getting their second goal they still didn't stop. Almost a minute later, they kept pushing and put the game away for good.

It's important for teams to not get complacent against inferior opponents. Liverpool knew they had defeated Bolton nine consecutive times coming into Saturday's action. They were prepared to get a hungry Bolton team looking to end the drought. Instead, Liverpool put them away quickly and shattered their confidence, sending them into the abyss.

Ball Possession

Although they were playing Bolton, it was still amazing to see Liverpool dominate the ball possession battle. The ball always seemed to be controlled by Liverpool. 

And they weren't just passing the ball to each other in the midfield area trying to kill the clock. They were creating opportunities and trying to expand the lead, which they eventually did. 

Liverpool had possession for 59 percent of the game. They dictated the pace of the game, and because of that, they were able to dominate. Similarly, against Sunderland they controlled the ball for 60 percent of the match.

They've been doing a fantastic job in this statistical category early in the season and essentially, ball possession is a major key to winning games. So it's great to see the Reds do so well in that department. 

Suarez's Missed Opportunities

It's hard to criticize Luis Suarez after what he's done in the last three games. 

However, he could be doing even better. He had two great scoring opportunities against Sunderland that he didn't capitalize on, one of which was a penalty kick. 

Tonight against Bolton in the first half, Suarez had a beautiful scoring chance that he chipped over the net. 

Although Suarez has been nothing but spectacular, he could easily have at least five or six goals this season. Hopefully, he'll improve on his finishing so that in big games we won't be talking about how Suarez's missed opportunity cost the Reds a game. 

Confidence Is Sky High

Champions are great at what they do, not because they do things differently. They are great because they feel confident in their abilities, and this helps them take their game to the next level.

Liverpool in the last two games has been playing with a lot of confidence. They were playing at a different level tonight, sparked by the emotional win against rival Arsenal. They hadn't beat Arsenal in ages on their home field, and winning that match gave them plenty of momentum. 

There is no doubt that the momentum carried on from the Arsenal match. Liverpool's players were energized from start to finish, and they will look to carry that momentum to Brittania Stadium against Stoke City on September 10.