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But this week was the first in which there were the tell-tale signs of the nip and tuck that will become commonplace during the defining stages of Liverpool's Premier League title challenge.

With Manchester City and Chelsea having both fallen away and Nottingham Forest, while hugely surpassing expectations, reaching the limit of their top-flight ambitions, Arsenal have emerged as the chief threat to the Reds winning a record-equalling 20th title.

The concentration, then, is focused on a straight battle between the two between now and the final weekend of the season.



Of course, it was the 2-0 defeat there last April that effectively brought an end to an unexpected title tilt with Liverpool having faltered at Manchester United and at home to Crystal Palace earlier in the month.

The same could very much have happened again in midweek after Everton capitalised on a nervy opening from the visitors to take the lead through Beto.

Having been rocked earlier in the day by confirmation Kai Havertz was out for the season, the pendulum was swinging back towards Arsenal a little.

But that Everton were wildly celebrating only a point rather than victory come the final whistle meant that, while the manner of letting a 2-1 lead slip through their fingers in the closing seconds rankled, Liverpool ultimately improved on the previous campaign.

Those small margins add up over the course of the season.

And given the Reds were tantalisingly close for so much of last term, it will not require much to turn a failed challenge into a successful one.

It's worth bearing in mind Liverpool are presently only three points better off than they were when leading the Premier League at this stage last season.

Indeed, there was very little sign of moping around the AXA Training Centre on Friday which was a hive of activity as always even before the players, who had been given Thursday off, arrived at the facility.

The Everton game was the first of five league games in 15 days - which continues at home to Wolves on Sunday afternoon - that precedes a March where, due to the League Cup final, Liverpool are playing just one solitary Premier League match at home to rock-bottom Southampton

Now is when the battle for the Premier League title truly begins.


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