19 points clear: there’s no stopping relentless Liverpool

Premier League West Ham United 0 Liverpool 2

Jurgen Klopp may have criticised his side for producing what he described as “not a brilliant performance against a team who is insecure at the moment”, but the fact remains that Liverpool are now 19 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Their 2-0 win away at West Ham last night was one of those potential banana skins that often catch the great and the good unaware: midweek, mid-winter, with an enticing two-week break just around the corner.

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But Klopp’s team have taken professionalism to new heights this season and their workmanlike performance in the capital ensured they maintained their unbeaten league season.

Magic Mo

Mohamed Salah put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot on 35 minutes after Issa Diop’s foul on Divock Origi, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain then made it 2-0 on 52 minutes. Salah came close to a third for the Reds but his shot rattled the upright.

It was Liverpool’s 15th consecutive win and they are now unbeaten in 41 league games and have amassed 70 points by the end of January, statistics that prompted the Daily Mirror to plaster its back page with “all over bar the shouting”.

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Super 70

“Yes we have 70 points, an incredible number, but so many things can happen,” said Klopp.

Asked if he thought they could be caught between now and May, the Liverpool boss replied: “I have no idea. The first target is to get the maximum points - there are still a lot of games.”

West Ham manager David Moyes admitted that his side had given it their best shot but simply weren’t good enough.

“They’re as good as there’s been around,” Moyes replied when asked if Liverpool are the best side he’s ever seen.

“It’s very difficult when you’ve been manager of Everton and Manchester United to say that but Liverpool are an excellent side.”

Record Reds

According to The Times, Liverpool “have now defeated every side in their division for the first time since 1896” and in making it 41 games unbeaten the Reds have surpassed Chelsea’s record of 40 games set in 2004-05.

Next in their sights are Nottingham Forest, who went 42 games unbeaten in the Brian Clough era of 1977-78, and then all that is left is Arsenal’s Invincibles record of 2003-04 when the Gunners didn’t lose during 49 matches.

“I’m not too much concerned about records,” said Klopp. “We are Liverpool and we have a proper history and everybody knows what we have to do.

“So the motivation is to reach that and not any points record. If that will happen as a side effect, we will take it, but we are not only concerned about that.”

Today’s newspaper back pages

Man City lose to Man Utd but win place at Wembley and Liverpool march on

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