Tuesday night’s defeat for Manchester City at Newcastle means that Liverpool end January five points clear of their rivals, even after dropping points at home to Leicester.

We take a look at recent history – the working-out is below – to come up with an awful lot of reasons to be cheerful for Liverpool fans. Basically, it’s in the bag.

* In the last ten seasons, every team who has finished January at the top of the table has gone on to be champions. Every single one.

* In fact, you have to go back 15 years to 2003/04 to find a team winning the Premier League title from a place other than first. And that was Arsenal, who were one point behind leaders Manchester United, but with a game in hand. They were then Invincible. We think we can basically discount that as a precedent.

* In the ten most recent seasons, six end-of-January gaps were increased over the last four months of the season. Of the rest, two gaps remained the same and two were marginally narrowed.

* Manchester City have three times been the chasing team and, on every occasion, they have then lost ground on the eventual champions.

2017/18

1st on February 1: Manchester City

2nd on February 1: Manchester United

Gap at end of January: 15 points

Gap at end of season: 19 points

2016/17

1st on February 1: Chelsea

2nd on February 1: Tottenham

Gap at end of January: 9 points

Gap at end of season: 7 points

2015/16

1st on February 1: Leicester

2nd on February 1: Manchester City

Gap at end of January: 3 points

Gap at end of season: 10 points (to Arsenal)

2014/15

1st on February 1: Chelsea

2nd on February 1: Manchester City

Gap at end of January: 5 points

Gap at end of season: 8 points

2013/14

1st on February 1: Manchester City

2nd on February 1: Arsenal

Gap at end of January: 1 point

Gap at end of season: 2 points (to Liverpool)

2012/13

1st on February 1: Manchester United

2nd on February 1: Manchester City

Gap at end of January: 7 points

Gap at end of season: 11 points

2011/12

1st on February 1: Manchester City

2nd on February 1: Manchester United

Gap at end of January: 0 points (+6 goal difference)

Gap at end of season: 0 points (+8 goal difference)

2010/11

1st on February 1: Manchester United

2nd on February 1: Arsenal

Gap at end of January: 5 points

Gap at end of season: 9 points (to Chelsea)

2009/10

1st on February 1: Chelsea

2nd on February 1: Manchester United

Gap at end of January: 1 point

Gap at end of season: 1 point

2008/09

1st on February 1: Manchester United

2nd on February 1: Chelsea

Gap at end of January: 5 points

Gap at end of season: 4 points (to Liverpool)