Liverpool equalled a club record as they moved 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League following a hard-fought 2-1 win against Brighton on Saturday.
Virgil van Dijik first-half brace looked to have put Jurgen Klopp’s side on their way to a convincing victory, but when Lewis Dunk struck a superb free-kick 14 minutes from time after Alisson Becker saw red for a deliberate handball, a tense finish ensued at Anfield.
The Reds did manage to hold on, and as a result moved a mammoth 11 points clear of Manchester City after Pep Guardiola’s men dropped two points at Newcastle.
Liverpool have now gone 31 games without defeat in the top flight, the first time they have done so since between the period May 1987 and March 1988.
Should the Reds either draw or win at Goodison Park, the home of their arch-rivals Everton, on Wednesday they will eclipse that record.
Speaking after the game, Klopp said: “It was unnecessary [for the game to be nervy at the end], of course, because we had unbelievable chances.
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
“Their keeper made some good saves. It was difficult this game because Brighton are a good football side. They put players between the lines.
“They put so many players there so it’s difficult to defend. They had a lot of possession and we had to work really hard. I loved that the boys were prepared to do that after a busy week.
“We then had the red card for Alisson. Adrian comes in with cold feet and cold hands but made two really good saves. The boys threw everything on the pitch.
“It’s unbelievable how much they want to win. They made it a really special win.”
Meanwhile, Klopp refused to get carried away by his side’s big lead at the top, insisting they ‘don’t think’ about these kind of things so early in the season.
He added; “It’s how it is. But if Leicester win tomorrow we are eight points. We don’t think about these things.
“It was just to win this game. We have one more day between now and the next game so we have to use that and then we try again.’