With Liverpool currently top of the tree on Christmas, the stats about being top during the festive period are being dug out again.
For Liverpool fans it is an untimely reminder that in the last ten years, only two teams have failed to win the Premier League when top for Christmas; Liverpool and...er... Liverpool.
The first instance was back in 2008/09 under Rafael Benitez, though if memory serves me correctly I believe eventual winners Manchester United had games in hand over the Reds then due to their participation in the Club World Cup.
The other was under Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14, when the trio of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez propelled the Reds to the summit, only for the team to crumble in the final few hurdles against Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
Klopp seems to have been made aware of this unfortunate stat, but had little time for it, imploring his team to focus on the immediate challenges ahead i.e. Newcastle and Arsenal:
I heard all of these things. However many times in the last 10 years when you were first at Christmas you won the title, only Liverpool didn’t. Wow. You are afraid to say it because you think then I know it.
That’s all bullshit stories. What is it? What does it mean? It’s a different team, a different time; everything was different.
It’s not interesting. Did I think if Liverpool had been champion as well twice [after being top at Christmas], ‘oh, halfway through, job done’? No.
? Superb! Klopp on the "bullshit stories" about the last time(s) Liverpool were top of the table at Christmas ?? pic.twitter.com/dA7XsPlJuZ
— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) December 25, 2018
It is perhaps unfortunate that Liverpool are up against arguably one of the greatest Premier League sides of all time in Manchester City, though the fact that they are ensures that this could be one of the most thrilling title races of recent years.
