It has only been a month since Liverpool won 7-0 at Crystal Palace. That came three days after a 2-1 win over a Tottenham side that, at the time, was looking like a serious contender for the Premier League title. It was not unreasonable that the general reaction then was to assume that Liverpool had finally clicked into form and that, with Manchester City still sputtering, it would put together a run of wins that would build up an unassailable lead in the table.
Since then, as Man City and Man United have hit form, Liverpool has taken three points from five games, four of them against sides in the lower half of the table.