Klopp proud as Liverpool open up a record lead

Jurgen Klopp admitted that he had never seen consistency like that of his Liverpool team who broke the record for a lead at the head of the English top flight with their 4-0 win over Southampton – a 22-point gap with a game in hand over Manchester City.

Second-placed City play Tottenham today with the title race all but over following Liverpool’s 16th consecutive league victory in a run of 42 games unbeaten. They have earned 100 points out of the last 102 available.

Klopp is still refusing to discuss the possibility of the club’s first league title in 30 years, which they could wrap up in the next seven games, but conceded that this side, who were held to 0-0 until the 47th minute, had surprised even him.

“I have never seen it before either,” Klopp said when asked about the consistency of his team. “It is not that I feel stronger and stronger [with every win]. It is just a little celebration – ‘great’ – sometimes more, sometimes less and then relief; settle; go again.” His team, he added, were “not perfect, not even close”. “We don’t care about being perfect,” he said. “We just try and use our skills in the best possible way.”

Mohamed Salah scored two goals, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson one apiece. “Incredibly difficult opponents to play,” he said of Southampton. “They are not here to be part of any party. They want to hurt us, to beat us and we have to throw everyone we have on the pitch.

“We don’t take anything for granted. The attitude and the mentality of the boys made it possible we could win this game. It looked today it would probably happen [Liverpool would drop points]. The boys put in a sensational shift. Everyone went to the point and beyond. We didn’t want to have a 22-point difference. We wanted to have 73 points, and that’s what we have.”