When Liverpool were thumped 4-1 at Manchester City back on April 1, the gap between the two teams – and former title rivals in previous seasons – had become a mighty chasm. “Too passive, too open, too deep, too far away from anything,” admitted manager Jurgen Klopp after the match.
Little did Klopp know that the defeat at the Etihad Stadium would be Liverpool's last in a Premier League run that has now reached 17 matches, and will hit 18 if the can avoid defeat in Saturday's tough game away to Tottenham Hotspur.
Six matches into the new campaign, the unbeaten Merseysiders sit two points behind City with only the 100 per cent record of Pep Guardiola's side keeping them off top spot.
And the talisman of Liverpool's team remains Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian forward has seemingly been unaffected by a summer of speculation linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia, making a flying start to the league campaign with three goals and four assists.