In the final minutes of Liverpool's 3-1 win over Leicester City, chants of "Liverpool, top of the table" echoed around Anfield. There was a sense that Arne Slot's team were on the verge of achieving something special this season.
In previous seasons, Manchester City's excellence demanded perfection from any team hoping to win the Premier League. However, this season, Liverpool are the team leading the race for the title.
"It sounds strange, but I think we started well. We threatened Leicester for six minutes, but then there was a moment when we underestimated the situation and immediately conceded a goal. We had to work hard after that to be able to get back into the game," said the Dutch strategist.
A 1-1 draw with Everton left Pep Guardiola's side 14 points behind leaders Everton, with a game in hand. Chelsea's last-gasp defeat to Fulham also gave the Reds another chance to accelerate.
It was an opportunity they seized, if not with both hands, then with enough confidence to prove that they are the most formidable team at the moment. Liverpool are now seven points clear of the second-placed team and have played a game less.
Slot's celebrations were modest when the final whistle blew against Leicester, with the Liverpool manager quick to stress the importance of keeping his cool, even when their title run was going well.
"It's a pretty boring answer and as a coach you have to play one game at a time and know how many games you have to play. There are a lot of teams with high quality. If this happened in the Eredivisie (the Dutch national championship), I would say OK, that's right" - Slot replied when asked about the chances of winning the Premier League.
Liverpool fans know that being top of the table at Christmas doesn't always mean winning the title. However, with such a huge advantage at the moment, it would be a huge shame for the "Reds" to let the championship slip away.
Slot's side were not at their best against Leicester, but they overcame a challenge in thick fog on Merseyside on Boxing Day and their status as title contenders is now clearer than ever.
