Jurgen Klopp was confronted with the statistic that nine of the last 11 teams who were top of the Premier League at Christmas went on to become champions. It was superficially encouraging. The two exceptions were Liverpool, in 2018-19, and Liverpool in 2013-14.
“We were one of them,” Klopp rationalised, before joking: “Brendan Rodgers is to blame for the other one.” Typically, he downplayed their lofty status. “Nothing really happened so far,” he added. “We collected a few points and if we want to do something special this year, we have to collect a few more.”
It is an understatement to say little has happened. Liverpool’s season has included becoming the first reigning champions to concede seven, when they were thrashed by Aston Villa, and then the biggest away league win in their history, 7-0 at Crystal Palace. In a sense, the damage to their goal difference has been repaired.
“I thought about it because seven is a number you don’t see that often in football and you don’t want to see it on one side and it doesn’t happen that much you see it on the other side,” Klopp reflected.
Nor has their season been uneventful in other ways. It could have been ruined by Virgil van Dijk’s potentially campaign-ending injury. Joe Gomez is also sidelined for the long term. There has been a revolving cast of absentees: Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Diogo Jota, even briefly Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. Thiago Alcantara, the flagship summer signing, has been limited to 135 minutes’ football.
Liverpool still boast a four-point lead at the division’s summit. That reaction to adversity has pleased Klopp. “The tougher it gets in a good family, a good working environment, you stick together,” he said. “That is how it is and that is the only way I understand we should respond to it. It was tough, it is tough and it will stay tough. Then it is about you: do you want to put your head down or head up? Do you want to fight it or accept? The boys are an impressive group and they always find a way to fight against it.”
There is a sense that problems are easing. Barren runs are ending. Roberto Firmino has three goals in his last two games. Mane ended his longest Liverpool drought with a first in 10 matches at Selhurst Park.
“I would have lost everything if I had to bet on it how many goals scored Sadio Mane in the last 10 games,” Klopp said. “It would have been the last one I went for that he only scored once.” Others, the potent Salah in particular, found ways of compensating.
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Crystal Palace v Liverpool player ratings
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CRYSTAL PALACE PLAYER RATINGS: Vicente Guaita - 5. The goalkeeper might have done better with the fifth goal but had little chance of keeping the score down. No one will be pointing fingers at the Spaniard. EPA -
Nathaniel Clyne - 4. Went to ground too quickly on the opening goal and should have read the danger for the second. Delivered one good cross going forward but was unable to hurt his former club. Getty Images -
Cheikhou Kouyate - 4. The Senegal midfielder looks uncomfortable in defence and his lack of mobility was exposed by the opposition’s front three. Withdrawn after 63 minutes when Tomkins bolstered the back line. EPA -
Gary Cahill - 5. A painful 35th birthday for the veteran centre back. He could not cope with the pace and movement of Liverpool’s attack. AP -
Patrick van Aanholt - 4. The Dutchman struggled badly against Mane and was sloppy with his passing. The left back was dangerous on the overlap but his delivery was poor. PA -
Jeffrey Schlupp - 5. The winger troubled the defence with his movement and appetite early on but faded as the match got away from his team. AP -
Luka Milivojevic - 5. The Serb caused Liverpool problems with his passing from deep in the opening period. His delivery from set pieces was good but he was overrun in midfield. Getty Images -
James McArthur - 5. Typically robust effort from the Scot, who scrapped for loose balls in midfield but did not create enough during the period that Palace had territorial advantage. Withdrawn for Riedewald for the final quarter of an hour. Getty Images -
Eberechi Eze - 4. The 22-year-old saw quite a bit of the ball in the first half when the home side threatened to overwhelm Alexander-Arnold but he failed to make the most of it. Substituted with 21 minutes left. AP -
Wilfried Zaha - 4. The striker has given Alexander-Arnold nightmares in the past but he was never able to impress. When the Ivorian does well, so do Palace. This was not his day. PA -
Jordan Ayew - 3. Had the opportunity to play Zaha in for an equaliser during the first half but the pull back was horribly off beam. Sent a free header directly at Alisson. Reuters -
SUBS: James Tomkins - 5. Replaced Kouyate in the 63rd minute. The defence looked a little more solid for the Englishman’s presence (no match photo available). PA -
Michy Batshuayi - 5. Joined the game for Eze with 21 minutes remaining. Chased hard in a lost cause and clipped in a good cross for Zaha (no match photo available). Reuters -
Jairo Riedewald – 4. On for McArthur with 15 minutes left. The Dutchman failed to influence the action (no match photo available). PA -
LIVERPOOL PLATER RATINGS: Alisson Becker - 7. The Brazilian brings calmness and authority to the team. Always quick off his line to sweep up if an opponent gets beyond the back four. AP -
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7. The 22-year-old has had difficult days at Selhurst but this was not one of them. Palace had little joy down his wing and his rolled ball to set up Henderson’s goal was perfectly weighted. Reuters -
Joel Matip - 7. The Cameroonian kept things simple and remained calm during the periods when Palace threatened. Ensured Zaha got little room in the area. Getty Images -
Fabinho - 7. Snuffed out danger whenever it appeared. The Brazilian set the tone in a successful early encounter with Zaha. Muscled off the ball by Ayew in a rare lapse. AFP -
Andrew Robertson - 8. The Scot exploited the space behind Clyne and produced a high standard of crosses. Sent in a magnificent pass for the third goal. Reuters -
Jordan Henderson - 8. The captain never stopped talking or moving. Popped up on the edge of the box to rifle home the fourth goal. EPA -
Naby Keita - 7. The Guinean grew in influence as the game went on. He was always looking to drive forward with the ball. Distribution was good. PA -
Georginio Wijnaldum - 7. Not the most eyecatching performance from the Dutchman but he filled in the gaps and dropped back to support the defence. Replaced by Jones in the 69th minute. AP -
Takumi Minamino - 7. The early goal gave the Japanese confidence. Playing in the front three suits him much more than a deeper role. EPA -
Roberto Firmino - 9. The Brazilian’s qualities were summed up by the third goal. He started the move in his own half and finished brilliantly with a delicate first touch that set up a simple strike. A splendid effort with two deserved goals. EPA -
Sadio Mane - 9. The Senegalese scored the second crucial goal at a point when Liverpool were second best. He loves playing against Palace – this was his 10th goal against them. Not happy to be taken off in the 57th minute for Salah. EPA -
Mohamed Salah - 9. Replaced Mane with 33 minutes to go. The Egyptian showed his class with a crossfield ball to Firmino for the fifth goal. He got his name on the scoresheet with a fine reaction header before wrapping up the scoring with a cracking shot. EPA -
Curtis Jones - 6. Joined the game when Wijnaldum was given a rest with 21 minutes to go. Enjoyed every second of his cameo and demanded the ball (no match photo available). EPA -
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 6. The 27-year-old was delighted to come on for Firmino in the last 15 minutes to make his first appearance of the season. Eased his way back into the action. Reuters
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And Klopp is getting more choice. Thiago, Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri are all back in training, even if the Spain international will not face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose first appearance of the season came as a substitute against Palace, is getting sharper.
“So far we had to play with the three or four midfielders we had,” Klopp added. Liverpool, after a rare free midweek, were finally in a position to train the way their manager wanted.
“Thursday was the first proper [matchday] minus three session since we started again – 11 v 11, tactical stuff, everything in, counter-pressing,” he explained. “That is the most similar session you can have to playing a football game.”
There is one difficulty: West Brom are an unknown quantity under new management. Klopp has been studying Sam Allardyce’s Everton as well as his first game in charge of Albion for clues “They have a lot more information about us than we have about them,” he said.
