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| Liverpool players celebrate Mohamed Salah's opener at Anfield |
Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Manchester City on January 3 last year proved costly to their title ambitions, with Pep Guardiola's side happening to say the Premier League crown by one point.
But it also clothed to be the beginning of something special. Since that night at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool has gone 37 Premier League games without defeat. The 2-0 convert Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday made it a full civil year unbeaten for Jurgen Klopp's side. The run has put them 13 points clear at the highest of the Premier League at the beginning of 2020, with defending champions City languishing rich the pace in third place. Liverpool's first title win in 30 years is starting to appear as if an inevitability. Is there any stopping them? Sheffield United certainly couldn't. Chris Wilder's side is awkward opponents for the large six this season, taking points off Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United, while Liverpool needed a 70th-minute strike from Georginio Wijnaldum to beat them at Bramall Lane in September.
This time, however, their resistance only lasted four minutes, when Andrew Robertson capitalized on an error from George Baldock to latch onto Virgil van Dijk's long pass and cross for Mohamed Salah to place the Reds ahead. Liverpool rarely seemed like abandoning the lead then, controlling the sport convincingly and registering 75 percent of the possession - their second-highest total of the season thus far.
Sadio Mane scored the second goal midway through the last half, finishing emphatically at the second time of asking following a sensible piece of combination play with Salah, but Liverpool could easily have had more goals. By the top, that they had attempted 19 shots to United's three.
"We played rather well," said Klopp afterward. "Our passing was excellent, we broke lines, our positioning was exceptional, and therefore the discipline offensively was exceptional. We didn't allow them to have the moments they wanted, we controlled the sport and [the win] was alright deserved."
How Liverpool's unbeaten.
The numbers behind Liverpool's unbeaten run are extraordinary.
Klopp's men have won 32 of the 37 games, taking 101 points from a possible 111. It's seven quite Manchester City has managed within the same time-frame despite playing a game more.
Liverpool has averaged 2.7 points per game during the run and scored 89 goals. Their shut-out against the Blades was their 16th clean sheet of the civil year.
It's the front three who tend to dominate the headlines during this side, but the defensive showing against Sheffield United was the newest reminder of the strength at the rear that has underpinned their success. Liverpool still has 12 games to navigate before equalling Arsenal's record-breaking 49-game unbeaten run between 2003 and 2004, but they're already closing in on Chelsea's run of 40 games undefeated under Jose Mourinho between 2004 and 2005.
The victory over Sheffield United extended Liverpool's current streak to 11 games. Before the 1-1 draw with Manchester United in October, they won 17 games during a row - the second-longest winning run in Premier League history after Manchester City's 18-game run in 2017.
There are many highlights along the way. Liverpool made an enormous statement with their 3-1 convert Manchester City earlier this season, and there have also been notable comebacks, including the 2-1 convert Tottenham in March - secured by a late goal - and therefore the dramatic 2-1 victory over Aston Villa every week before the converted City in November.
Liverpool supporters will hope the simplest is yet to return.
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| Sadio Mane in action against Sheffield United |
Klopp has repeatedly ruled out the likelihood of replicating Arsenal's Invincibles but the comparisons are inevitable when Liverpool continues to supply performances and results of such a relentlessly high level. The Reds are actually averaging more points per game than the Invincibles. they're scoring more goals and conceding fewer. Liverpool's hopes of replicating Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten run rest on subsequent 12 games, however, and even during this quite form it'll not be straight-forward. they're away to Jose Mourinho's Tottenham in their next game, survive Sky Sports on January 11, and then they host Manchester United before awkward trips to Wolves and West Ham.
Liverpool's next 12 Premier League games
Jan 11: Tottenham (a) Jan 19: Man Utd (h) Jan 23: Wolves (a) Jan 29: West Ham (a) Feb 1: Southampton (h) Feb 15: Norwich (a) Feb 24: West Ham (h) Feb 29: Watford (a) Mar 7: Bournemouth (h) Mar 14: Everton (a) Mar 21: C Palace (h) Apr 4: Man City (a)There is that the small matter of a Merseyside derby against a resurgent Everton in March, and albeit they create it through subsequent 11 games without losing, they're going to got to avoid defeat against - you guessed it - Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in April so as to form it to 49.
Of course, plenty could fail between now then.
Liverpool is coping without Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip thanks to injuries at the instant. They lost Naby Keita within the warm-up at Anfield on Thursday too. But would they be ready to manage if Van Dijk was ruled out?
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson are similarly important, with none of Liverpool's back-up full-backs ready to replicate their creativity. The newly-recruited Takumi Minamino will provide greater depth in attack, but an injury to anybody of their front three might be even as problematic.
There is no let-up to Liverpool's schedule either, with Champions League and FA Cup commitments still to return, meaning fatigue is probably going to become more of a problem because the season progresses.
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