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And Liverpool's domination of the Premier League this season can ultimately be put down to one factor: consistency.

While their main rivals have experienced peaks and troughs during the campaign, Arne Slot's side have had to negotiate only the most minor of dips in opening up a 13-point lead at the summit.

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And such relentlessly positive results - only two defeats in 32 games - speaks volumes for the regular levels Liverpool have been able to produce in the toughest and most demanding domestic league in the world.



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Much has to do with the mentality of the players.

This is a Liverpool team that simply doesn't enjoy losing in the Premier League, having now been beaten only six times in their last 79 top-flight matches.

That Slot inherited an improving squad that had played together for a year under predecessor Jurgen Klopp also aided the continuity, not least given there was only one new arrival last summer in Federico Chiesa and those that departed had barely featured during the closing months of Klopp's reign.

But where Slot has pointedly differed from the German is in his general reluctance to overly rotate.

"My former teams we were able to actually play almost every game with the same players but it is a different league so I might have to adjust to that," he said back in September, and the Reds head coach has travelled a steep learning curve in that regard at times this season given the intensity of the English game.

However, it remains one of the most curious aspects of Liverpool's campaign that, along with Chiesa, neither Wataru Endo nor Harvey Elliott have started a league game under Slot.

Last season they totalled 31 between them.

Youngsters Tyler Morton, James McConnell, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha have all started in the cup competitions but haven't kicked a ball in the Premier League this term, while goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros has just a handful of minutes and striker Jayden Danns likewise.

That Liverpool have been reliant on a small core of players because even more clear when drilling deeper into the appearance figures.

Conor Bradley's start against West Ham United at the weekend was only his third in the Premier League this season while for Kostas Tsimikas it was a sixth.

Jarell Quansah has had one since the opening round of fixtures, Joe Gomez six and Darwin Nunez has managed only eight.

Remarkably, 76% of all of Liverpool's starting roles in the Premier League this season have been spread across just 10 players.

With six games remaining, the Reds have had 20 different starters in the top-flight this season.
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