Liverpool rout of Leeds forces Man City to reconsider title equation

Liverpool thrashed Leeds 6-0 at Anfield last night, inflicting the heaviest defeat on Marcelo Bielsa since... Manchester City put seven past them in December.

Even if Jurgen Klopp will still be calling for caution, the mood on Merseyside - where people are never shy to talk up their team - is of a title race reborn and of a club that could actually go on and win an unprecedented quadruple this year.

Down the M62 little has changed at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola had been talking up his biggest rivals for some time and having seen Liverpool stay within touching distance when the Blues were at their best, it is no surprise to see them close the gap when the champions have stumbled lately. Despite this, it would still take a superhuman effort from the challengers to unseat a City side that remain in control of the title race.

One aspect that Liverpool have forced the Blues to reconsider though is goal difference.

Mo Salah & Co. may not have managed as many as City did against Leeds but their rout was still significant in that it marked the first time in two months that Liverpool have had the best goal difference in the division.

Guardiola's side used a superb December - including big wins over Leeds, Newcastle and Leicester - to grasp the initiative not just with points but also with goals as their rivals stumbled, dominating every aspect of the table. Things changed so quickly that a question put to the City boss about the importance of goal difference after a misfiring win at Watford on December 4 was quickly outdated.

There is a reminder in there that the race to the wire predicted may not happen given how swiftly the picture can change, and the Blues are planning to finish clear of everybody else on points. But