Jurgen Klopp is right to remind Liverpool they are still a long way from winning the Premier League title

It’s impossible to escape the feeling that a certain proportion of their lead over Manchester City has been propelled by a rare belief, a momentum, an air of invincibility

For all the disquiet around Anfield at full-time, the natural leader in Jurgen Klopp was keen to remind everybody of the reality of the league table, and the reality of a league season.

“We have a point more than before,” the German began after the 1-1 draw with Leicester City, iterating the key point that they are, well, one key point further ahead of Manchester City. “We can’t beat everybody. We were ready for hard work.”

And now is when it really begins, but not just in the sense of getting the job done over the final 14 games. There’s also the changed nature of that job.

Because, as excellent and admirable as Liverpool have been, it’s impossible to escape the feeling that a certain proportion of their lead has been propelled by a rare belief, a momentum, an air of invincibility – whatever you want to call it.

That was initially inspired by the fact they were unbeaten, something ended by Manchester City a month ago.

There was then the hugely impressive winning streak, as they had claimed victory in all 16 previous games against the ‘other 14’, something Leicester ended on Wednesday night.

That, to be fair, really is remarkable. This was the first time that Liverpool dropped points to a team outside the ‘big six’. That, as Klopp alluded to, should put things in perspective.

Harry Maguire drew Leicester level (AFP/Getty)

But it will also change perspectives.

Both of these games after all could have seen Liverpool develop what might have been a definitive lead, only for confidence to be instead be someway diminished.

Because as hoary and old-fashioned as it seems, the mindset conditioned by unbeaten runs and winning streaks does have a tangible effect. It fosters a focus, and a clarity of purpose, that leads to late winners and all the other famous elements usually associated with title wins.

Liverpool couldn’t offer any of them here, but the greater wonder from this game is whether this setback will undercut them from doing so in future.

Such belief is a fragile thing, after all, but is also a powerful thing. Leicester withstood it so well here.

Much more earthily, the most fundamental factor to Wednesday’s game was that Liverpool came up against a very robust thing in that defence.

Sometimes it is as simple as that. Claude Puel’s side defended superbly, expertly used Liverpool’s possession against them, and the manager maybe wasn’t completely outlandish when he suggested his side might have had more.

Sadio Mane put Liverpool in front before Harry Maguire’s equaliser (PA)

They did miss two big sitters, even if the flipside is the officials missed two big decisions that went their way. There was most relevantly the fact that Harry Maguire stayed on the pitch to strike the equalising goal, when he might well have been sent off.

But some of this gets to Klopp’s first point.

Sometimes games just go against you, as every season will just have matches as “difficult” as this – as he put it.

Liverpool’s run against the rest of the Premier League was never going to be sustainable, and just as important is that no-one panics because they have dropped such points for the first time.

But that’s why it comes back to Klopp’s second point. Winning titles is about a different type of sustenance, of responding positively to any negative like this.

Even if Liverpool were themselves not firing as much as usual, and were a touch anxious and panicked as the game went on, they have to make sure they realise this was one of those games against a particularly good defence.

They can’t let it bring doubt into their game, or let the anxiety of the last 20 minutes seep further.

Klopp did admit some of it just came down to his team.

“To break down defences like that, you have to speed up in decisive areas. Sometimes we did, sometimes we didn’t.”

Sometimes they just couldn’t. It is why the title race has ratcheted up again, and why next weekend is suddenly so enriched.

It’s where the hard work really begins, and maybe where the true drama of a title race really begins.