Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists a six-point lead at the top of the Preier League means nothing at the halfway stage of the season.
The Reds have been installed as the new title favourites after they comfortably beat Newcastle 4-0 and Manchester City lost for the second successive match, going down 2-1 at Leicester.
Liverpool’s next two matches are at home to Arsenal and away at City, where Klopp’s side will arrive still top of the table irrespective of their result against the Gunners.
Klopp, however, is refusing to look too far ahead as City began December top, two points clear with a goal difference 14 better than Liverpool, but head into their final match of the year third, seven behind Klopp’s side having seen their goal difference advantage reduced to zero.
“That means nothing. We play Arsenal and City,” he said of their six-point lead over Tottenham, who have taken over second place from Pep Guardiola’s side.
“I had no idea how any other teams were playing, I didn’t even know where they were playing.
“Afterwards I got the results and I can say it didn’t do a lot for me. It is just information.
“It’s good that we have six points than other teams, or seven, but that is pretty much all.”
Liverpool are only the fourth team to remain unbeaten at the halfway stage of a Premier League season, having won 16 of their 19 games.
They have already had their best start to a season in their history and the clean sheet against Newcastle was their 12th of the season – the same number they recorded when they last won the title in 1989-90.
“What we wanted to do all the time was create a basis for the rest of the season. Now the first part of the season is over,” added Klopp, whose side won the game through goals from Dejan Lovren, Mohamed Salah, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho.
“We want to create our own history. It is the first Liverpool team in the Premier League unbeaten (at halfway). We have conceded seven goals.
“All good numbers but there are 19 games to go. So we play Arsenal, we play City, we play Tottenham. We play all of them again. There is a long way to go, we all know that.
“We have to win our games we have to be focused, we have to be really in the mood and have tunnel vision and see where it leads us to.”