Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool's 2-0 win at Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday as "really special" as his team moved to within a point of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
A tight contest was decided by second half goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino as the Reds won their ninth league game in a row.
Mikel Arteta's team arguably shaded the first half and came close to taking the lead just before Jota's opener but Martin Odegaard's effort with the goal at his mercy was somehow kept out by a diving Alisson.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Klopp was delighted with the three points and praised the way his side ground out the win.
"It's really special," he said. "Coming here in our situation, and their situation, and not having a brilliant first half and then turning the game in the right direction is pretty special.
"You have to be on your toes because they are a proper threat."
Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have won more points than any other Premier League team (28 – W9 D1 L0), and are the only side yet to suffer a league defeat in 2022. In fact, Liverpool have avoided defeat in their opening 10 league games of a calendar year for the first time since 2015.
The title race is now finely poised with just one point separating City and Liverpool, with nine games to go each and the two set to face each other in April, but Klopp insists all his team can do is continue to win games.
"We have had a good period," he added. "We are one point behind but the only thing we can do is win football games. No game is easy in this incredible league and we have to keep going.
"The only thing I'm really interested in is how we can prepare for the next game, how we can get through this. It's so difficult – I think it's game number 13 since we met Arsenal in the Carabao Cup. For them, it's seven – that's six more games for us. We don't complain about it, we wanted it like this. Let's see how it goes.
"In 10 years, do you think somebody will say you should be proud [of finishing second by one point]? Probably not. We know we have a special group here and we're trying to squeeze everything we can out of the situation."
Andrew Robertson – who registered his 50th assist in 211 games for Liverpool when he set up Firmino's goal – believes City are still in a better position, but insists it will be a "sprint to the finish line."
When asked if Liverpool are the team with momentum, the Scotland captain told Sky Sports: "Yeah, but they've got an extra point than us (laughing).
"Look, they're a point better off. A fantastic team, one of the best in the world and they'll obviously try and have a strong finish. That's us done with the Premier League until after the international break [for] both teams, and then it's a sprint to the finish line."
Robertson has provided 10+ assists in three of his last four seasons in the Premier League, while since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, only team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold (43) has provided more assists in the competition than him (40).
"We're in the race," he continued. "A lot of people maybe didn't think we were going to be [in] January but we're definitely in the race and we just need to focus on what we're doing and picking up as many points as possible."
Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 Leipzig: Visitors fightback halts unbeaten streak for Alonso's side
Bayer Leverkusen suffered their first defeat in 36 Bundesliga matches, as Leipzig came from behind to stun Xabi Alonso's side 3-2 at BayArena.
Lois Openda struck twice for Marco Rose's, who recovered from 2-0 down to make it two wins from two and move to the summit of the table.
It looked like business as usual for the reigning Bundesliga champions when they scored twice in the last seven minutes of the first half through Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo.
However, Leipzig replied deep into first-half stoppage time with Kevin Kampl reducing the deficit.
Openda then brought the visitors level in the 57th minute, before a stunning long-range strike completed the turnaround 10 minutes from time, condemning Leverkusen to their first league defeat in 15 months.
Data Debrief: Leverkusen's long streak comes to a shuddering halt
Leipzig became the first side to beat Leverkusen in a Bundesliga match since Bochum achieved the feat a staggering 462 days earlier.
The visitors have begun a Bundesliga season with two wins from two for only the second time, also doing so in 2019-20.
They are also now unbeaten in 13 league matches, their longest such streak since Rose took charge.
As for Leverkusen, their invincible streak is officially history, as is their 29-game unbeaten run on home soil.
'We really let ourselves down' - Coleman slams Everton after late Bournemouth collapse
Seamus Coleman acknowledged Everton "really let ourselves down" and must "look at ourselves in the mirror" following their spectacular late collapse against Bournemouth.
Sean Dyche's side, who were seeking their first points of the season, led 2-0 in the 87th minute at Goodison Park through goals from Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
However, the hosts were undone by three crosses in the latter stages, with Antoine Semenyo pulling a goal back and Lewis Cook levelling, before Luis Sinisterra completed a sensational turnaround in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Boos rung around Goodison Park as the Toffees remained pointless and rooted to the foot of the Premier League table, and Coleman echoed the supporters' frustrations.
"We really let ourselves down in front of our fans," the skipper said. "We cannot take our foot off the gas at this level. Unfortunately, we did that.
"We cannot be conceding the goals that we did. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror."
Meanwhile, Dyche bemoaned the lack of responsibility amongst his players, as they became the first side in Premier League history to lose a game after leading by two or more goals in the 87th minute.
"We did so much right until they scored their first goal," the Everton head coach said. "The game should have been out of sight. We conceded one and then threw it away. I can't put my finger on it right now.
"They kept raining it forward and got their reward in the end. They were playing it forward and crossing it into the box, and we didn't deal with it. Simple stuff, but we threw it away. It is the third game we have thrown away this season.
"Everyone was looking at someone else to deal with things and that is when there is trouble. You could see the body language change. You have to see games through, and we have enough experience to do that, but today we didn't."
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola added: "It was the worst game we played this season. Everton deserved to win today, but the players kept pushing.
"I always have hope because this team has spirit. We have done it before and had some good comebacks. The spark of the first goal made us believe we could do it again."
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Wolves: Bellegarde beauty earns visitors first point
Wolves earned their first point of the Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
Chris Wood's towering header was cancelled out by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's stunning strike as the spoils were shared at the City Ground.
The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute as Wood rose to nod home from Elliot Anderson's corner.
However, the visitors were level just two minutes later in spectacular fashion, with Bellegarde firing a stunning long-range volley into the roof of the net.
Gary O'Neil's side had Sam Johnstone to thank after the break, with the debutant producing a strong hand to deny Wood his second goal of the game.
Matheus Cunha curled a shot just wide while the offside flag denied Wood later on, with Forest unable to snatch victory but extending their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Data Debrief: Wolves end losing streak while Wood matches Collymore
After opening the season with two defeats and eight goals conceded, Wolves stopped the rot with a welcome point against their Midlands rivals, while ending a five-game Premier League losing streak in the process.
Meanwhile, Forest remain unbeaten in their opening three games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1995-96.
Heading his side into the lead, Wood became only the second Forest player to score in both their first two home matches in a Premier League season since Stan Collymore 30 years previously.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
