Manchester City are evidently and single-mindedly marching on while defending champions Liverpool have yet to find some quick form of some kind and regroup.
Sunday’s fixture was a must-win for Jurgen Klopp’s side to haul themselves back into title race contention, but now it’ll be an increasingly uphill task and near impossibility for them to retain their title from this juncture onwards after the debilitating loss to Guardiola’s valiant men.
The Reds only recourse now would be to focus on the Champions League and hone t heir sights on securing a top-four League finish, but to accomplish even this time is running out for them to find some form pronto as they have some more tough games coming up fast.
All they have is a week off to get their act together as next up is a trip to third-placed Leicester on Saturday, then they are up against RB Leipzig in the Champions League in Hungary before the Merseyside derby at Anfield in their next home game on 20 February.
Everton last won there 22 years ago but now it would be Liverpool venturing into the game with doubts because of their amazing longstanding record record at holding the fortress for so long against all invaders – until recently.
After going 68 home league games unbeaten, it was a major stunner to see them lose their home stronghold first to Burnley and then Brighton, and now this latest defeat at the hands of a regalvanised City means they have lost three league games in a row there for the first time since 1963.
The inevitable question is what’s gone so dismally awry?
Virgil van Dijk, for starters, as the near-impenetrable fortress that he represented for so long as one of the best centre-backs in the world, if not the best, is now but a lingering memory until he returns from his ACL injury. He is and he has been out since October.
Then too the absence of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip meant Klopp has had to shift players around to cover for that noticeable gap and that has cost them dearly all over the pitch, especially with skipper Jordan Henderson dropping out of midfield to fill in at the back.
To exacerbate matters, their once all-too-formidable front three attacking formation has been struggling for form and the goals needed to get them results have dwindled considerably.
Something drastic needs to change for the team to get its confidence back, and putting Henderson back in his proper position would definitely help.
Time is fast running out for the Reds and Jurgen Klopp, of all people, would be the first to be cognizant of that dire fact.