Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool will need a record points total to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.

The Merseysiders recorded a 2-0 victory over Wolves at Molineux on Friday night – thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk – to open up a four-point lead over City at the top.

It will be reduced to one point again if Manchester City can beat Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

However, Friday night’s result means Liverpool will be top of the tree on Christmas Day – which is usually a good omen as most teams in that position have gone on to win the title that season.

But Klopp stressed the need for his players to not take their foot off the gas despite already earning 48 points from 18 games this season, warning they will have to stay at their best throughout the entire season to become champions.

City won the title with a record 100 points last season and Klopp believes Liverpool need to beat it to succeed this term.

He said: “If you want to do the headline ‘Klopp says we need 105 points to win the title’ then do it.
“I don’t know how much any team needs this season but everybody asks me about the situation and says that the last four times the team that was top at Christmas won the league.

“But was it ever such a tight race? If all the other guys win when they play then three or four teams have more than 40 points at Christmas.

“That’s really exceptional. So far it looks like a real special season. It is up there, to have 48 points mid December is just crazy.

“At the end of season you need 105 (points) to be champion – it could be.

“We cannot start a party.

“The boys showed they are ready for these difficult games. One of the most difficult games of the season and we won it.”

Liverpool have conceded just seven goals in the league this season with, Alisson Becker keeping 11 clean sheets.

He needed to save from Romain Saiss and Matt Doherty in a first half where Wolves put the visitors under pressure.

Adama Traore twice shot wide before Salah flicked in Fabinho’s low cross after 18 minutes.

Van Dijk made the game safe with 20 minutes left, poking in Salah’s searching ball.

Klopp added: “He (Van Dijk) is in a good moment and very important for us and hopefully it can stay like this.

“The work-rate in general is outstanding with how we defended.

“I love the boy but the two in front have to run a lot more to make it halfway easier for the centre-halves and they did it again.

“We defended really well and Virgil played a proper part in that.”