Dubai: Liverpool just do not know how to lose these days.
They were on the ropes for long periods against Crystal Palace on Saturday, yet still came away with three points thanks to goals from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Jurgen Klopp insisted after the game that he has no problem with Liverpool playing below par — as long as they keep getting the results. It is a win ugly mindset that was missing from the team last season as they came up short in the title race against Manchester City, counting the cost of dropped points in too many drawn games.
All that has changed this time around and Liverpool are picking up three points instead of one at tricky venues such as Palace’s Selhurst Park.
“We know it’s a tough place to come to and we weren’t compact enough in the first half,” said Klopp. “In a game like this you have to make sure you are ready to fight for the result.
“We are not out there to show that we invented football, because we didn’t. We have a job to do and hopefully we can continue.”
Liverpool are now 30 games undefeated and with this ruthless form, it is unrealistic to think anyone can catch them as they hunt down their first ever Premier League title.
City hung in with a 2-1 win over Frank Lampard’s revamped Chelsea, showing they will not give up their title defence without a fight. Had they failed to win, even Pep Guardiola would have had to admit the challenge was over. As it is they remain nine points behind Liverpool and even that looks too big a gap to bridge.
While Liverpool keep on winning, Manchester United slumped again, this time at Sheffield United as they undid all their great work — coming back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 — by surrendering the advantage to a late leveller from Oliver McBurnie.
With United languishing in ninth position, 20 points behind the leaders, it looks like action may be taken very soon against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the manager’s seat, with Mauricio Pochettino waiting in the wings, having been jettisoned by Tottenham Hotspur to make way for Jose Mourinho.
The coach merry-go-round looks like it is getting into full swing, with Marco Silva at Everton, Unai Emery at Arsenal, Solskjaer at Old Trafford and Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham all on borrowed time.
One man who is guaranteed to safe in his seat through all of this is Klopp at Anfield, as he looks down at the turmoil below him from his perch at the top of the table.
Standings
P W D L F A Pts
1 Liverpool 13 12 1 0 30 11 37
2 Leicester 13 9 2 2 31 8 29
3 Man City 13 9 1 3 37 14 28
4 Chelsea 13 8 2 3 28 19 26
5 Wolverhampton 13 4 7 2 18 16 19
6 Sheff Utd 13 4 6 3 16 12 18
7 Burnley 13 5 3 5 20 18 18
8 Arsenal 13 4 6 3 18 19 18
9 Man Utd 13 4 5 4 19 15 17
10 Tottenham 13 4 5 4 21 19 17
11 Bournemouth 13 4 4 5 16 17 16
12 Brighton 13 4 3 6 15 19 15
13 Crystal Palace 13 4 3 6 11 18 15
14 Newcastle 12 4 3 5 11 18 15
15 Everton 13 4 2 7 13 20 14
16 West Ham 13 3 4 6 16 23 13
17 Aston Villa 12 3 2 7 17 20 11
18 Norwich 13 3 1 9 13 28 10
19 Southampton 13 2 3 8 13 31 9
20 Watford 13 1 5 7 8 26 8
