Liverpool have now stretched their unbeaten run in the topflight to 38, ensuring records continue to tumble for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
The Reds notched their 12th successive Premier League victory over Tottenham, with Roberto Firmino’s first-half strike proving key in taking all three points back to Merseyside.
Jurgen Klopp’s side produced yet another gritty performance to secure the victory in north London, which saw Spurs handed their eighth defeat of the campaign.
It was an outing whereby Liverpool were far from their blistering best, but a 16-point lead over Leicester was secured after the Foxes’ defeat to Southampton, with Man City yet to play.
Here are five key statistics from Liverpool’s 1-0 win, their 20th in 21 games.
A 126-Year Record Rewritten
Every week the Reds seems to up the ante and this is time is no different, with victory over Spurs seeing the Reds extend their unbeaten run in the league to 38 games.
The run which started after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Man City in the opening game of 2019 has proved to be the catalyst for a truly remarkable run of form which is equivalent to 104 points.
A point tally over a 38-match spell in the Premier League which stands above the rest, with Klopp’s side overtaking Man City (2017-2018) and Chelsea (2005) in the rankings, both of whom had picked up 102 points.
It is a truly astonishing feat and one which extends beyond the league’s record books as it also ensures club history has been made as a record standing over 126 years has been broken.
The Reds’ longest unbeaten run in the league of 37 games was set in 1894, and now Klopp’s side have made it their own and show no signs of letting up anytime soon.
We truly are witnessing something very special indeed.
Reds Just Can’t Stop Scoring
Another byproduct of Liverpool’s inability to taste defeat is that they can’t help but find the net every time they take to the field.
And Firmino’s strike which decided the game was significant for a number of reasons, firstly it ensured three points were safely secured but it also equalled the club’s best-ever scoring streak from the start of a league season.
It was the 21st game in succession, from the start of a campaign, that Liverpool have found the net, with the Reds also scoring in each of the first 21 games in the 1933/34 season:
21 – This is @LFC's joint-best scoring streak from the start of a top-flight season in the club's history, with the Reds also netting in their first 21 games in the 1933-34 season. Rampant. #TOTLIV pic.twitter.com/4CsDUEVgtx
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 11, 2020
The rich vein of form in front of the sticks has seen 50 goals rustle the back of the net, with 16 different goalscorers getting in on the action as the Reds continue to show they are capable of finding various avenues to goal.
The last time the Reds failed to score was in the scoreless draw at Everton in March 2019.
‘There’s Something That the Kop Wants You to Know’
The man of the moment proved key in seeing the aforementioned records were in Liverpool’s grasp with a sumptuous finish across the ‘keeper on his weaker foot.
And while it was remarkably Firmino’s ninth of the campaign in which all have been scored away from Anfield, it was also his fifth goal in his last six games across all competitions – a tally which took him 30 appearances to match prior to this run.
It’s common knowledge that Firmino’s role and importance extends beyond more than goals and assists, with his unselfish play and all-encompassing role integral to Klopp’s style of play, but it is a welcome sight to see the Brazilian now consistently finding the net.
Three of his last five goals have been the deciding factor in seeing Liverpool walk away with a win, with his strike at Tottenham following his decisive goals against Monterrey and Flamengo in the Club World Cup – while the run also saw him open the scoring in the mauling of Leicester.
Confidence is key for any player and Bobby can never have too much of it – and his celebrations alone are enough to want to see you find the net on the regular.
Wijnaldum’s Dominance
It was another standout performance from Wijnaldum at Spurs, with his tireless running and pressing was his work both on and off the ball proved key to Liverpool’s victory.
It was a performance whereby the Dutchman was key in pulling the strings for the Reds in the middle of the park.
An outing which returned 12 ball recoveries and five successful take-ons, the most of any player, as he successfully linked defence to attack and disrupted Spurs’ movement into our final third.
Despite one small misstep in the second term, Liverpool’s No. 5 failed to take his foot off the gas and was yet again strong over the ball as he continues to prove hard to dispossess.
Wijnaldum is no doubt an underrated member of the side, but performances like the one at Tottenham only showcase how integral he is in winning, circulating and retaining the ball.
Long may it continue.
Defensive Dominance
A 2-1 scoreline seemed the most likely end result earlier in the campaign as the Reds struggled to completely nullify the opposition.
However, the clean sheets have returned in emphatic fashion with the run in the league now stretching to 585 minutes without a goal going the way of our opposition – at the most relentless and demanding period of the season nevertheless.
It is a stretch of time which extends to six successive clean sheets, a run last replicated by the Reds in December 2006, who managed seven.
It is a credit to the performances of the likes of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez, the latter of whom has proved a key contributor with the run of form coinciding with his return to the starting lineup.
Alisson, meanwhile, has similarly proven decisive with his distribution, shot handling and reading of the game all ensuring the opposition have a limited window of opportunity if any at all.
He makes life as a goalkeeper look easy such is his superior positioning, and the result against Spurs made it so that he has now kept as many clean sheets in his 51 Premier League games for Liverpool as he has conceded goals (27):
Alisson has now kept as many clean sheets in his 51 Premier League games as he has conceded goals. ? pic.twitter.com/vVF4lF376l
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 11, 2020
And here’s hoping for a seventh consecutive clean sheet against Man United on Sunday.
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