“WHO cares about points in December?” said Jurgen Klopp after his Liverpool side claimed three more of them against Wolves on Sunday.

Sadio Mane’s strike gave the Reds a narrow victory in a VAR-infested clash which saw Wolves’ Pedro Neto have a goal disallowed for a narrow offside against Jonny in the build-up.

The win took the Reds 13 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on the chasing pack, but Klopp is refusing to get carried away.

“It is a long way to go for all of us,” said the German. 

“Everybody asks me: ‘How was my 2019?’ My 2019 was brilliant, but that’s not important because we count in seasons and not years.

“The 2019/20 season is not over. We are halfway there, we still have 19 games to play and probably 18 or 19 of them will be like this tonight.”

By ‘like this tonight,’ Klopp meant particularly difficult. Liverpool had to grind out their 1-0 win against Wolves, and all the signs suggest that Sheffield United will pose even more of a challenge when the two sides meet at Anfield on Thursday.

Few teams in the Premier League are set up as cannily as the Blades, and Chris Wilder’s side could provide the biggest tactical obstacle Klopp and his staff have had to overcome this season.

The South Yorkshire side remain in the running for a European spot after an excellent start to the season, and impressed in their meeting with Manchester City on Sunday despite a 2-0 defeat.

“We will now face teams who fight [to stay in] the league with all they have, then others who fight for the Champions League and European spots,” added Klopp.

“They will fight with all they have and we have to be ready.”

Liverpool lost just one game in the Premier League this year, with their solitary defeat coming against City three days into 2019. 

They will be looking to continue this form into the new year and should they do so, they will be crowned champions in May for the first time since 1990.