Jurgen Klopp has outlined how Liverpool can catch Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
The reigning champions hold a six-point lead over their Anfield counterparts, who have a game in-hand, after accumulating a nine-match winning run.
Pep Guardiola’s side have won three of the previous four titles, with the Reds’ first domestic triumph since 1990 denying them a chance to claim a hat-trick.
One point separated the teams in 2018/19 and Klopp is convinced his players can run City close again despite admitting a need to improve in consistency.
But Klopp remains convinced that City can be level-pegged despite admitting his players will need to strive for greater consistency if they are to succeed.
He said: “I think it’s possible (to catch City)
“That’s why I think it’s what we should think because it’s why we are here.
“But it’s difficult, it’s absolutely difficult. Imagine the consistency of City, but [also] the consistency of my boys as well in the last few years.
“Three years ago, City became champions one point ahead of us, or 11 millimetres, stuff like this. We were chasing through the whole year.
“The year before that we were in the Champions League final but lost it.
“The consistency the boys show is incredible but that’s the only chance you have in a league with probably the best team in the world.
“It’s really tricky to be ahead of them but, so far at least, we are not completely out of reach. It’s not that we have absolutely no chance anymore.
“But of course you know that City will not drop a lot of points so you’d better not drop a points yourself – but we have to do better.
“First and foremost what we have to do on the absolute top level is defending, that’s how it is.
“That’s what gives you the chance for consistency and on top of that I really think we improved a lot football-wise.
“We play some really good stuff, we are more difficult to defend than we maybe were in the past. We did some good steps.
“Will they be enough? I have no idea but without being at least as consistent as we have been, we have no chance.
“If you really want to go for the big one, we have to be even more consistent and we will see if that’s possible or not, but we will give it a try.”
Virgil van Dijk will again be available for Liverpool’s trip to Leicester City after testing positive for Covid-19 before their win over Newcastle on December 16.
Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of the Holland international’s arrival from Southampton which elevated the defensive ranks within Klopp’s side.
Van Dijk made his long-awaited return to competitive action this summer, following a season-ending knee injury during last October’s Merseyside derby.
“He’s now back to his best, for sure, and what helps us and him a lot is that we have options around,” added Klopp.
“We don’t have to push him through in moments when his body is giving a sign that he needs to step aside for a moment. That’s very helpful and that’s why the situation is very good.
“Virgil’s arrival obviously was a big day in our modern history.
“It’s a good example for how a winter transfer works, when you either wanted to sign a player in the summer before or the summer after.
“We wanted Virg in the summer already. For some reasons we could not do the transfer but in the winter we tried again and could get it through.
“It was a very important day.
“It changed a lot for us because in combination then with Joel (Matip), Dejan (Lovren), Joe (Gomez), we all of a sudden could defend in a different way, make the pitch smaller for the opponent so that was pretty helpful.”