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Liverpool might never get back to “playing like last season” warns Jamie Carragher.

However, the Reds defender does not believe that is necessarily a bad thing.

Jurgen Klopp's side were the toast of Europe last term, netting a record 47 goals in their 15 Champions League matches throughout 2017/18.

The free-scoring total bettered the previous high of 45 from Barcelona's class of 1999/2000 – another campaign in which Real Madrid came out on top – and was supplemented by Liverpool bagging 84 goals in the Premier League, a total second only to runaway champions Manchester City who broke the century barrier for both goals scored and points.

(Image: Andrew Teebay)

But whereas as Pep Guardiola's men cantered to the title some 19 points clear of their nearest rivals, neighbours United, and some 25 points ahead of Liverpool, so far this season the Reds are running them much closer.

After 13 Premier League matches, City and Liverpool are now the only two unbeaten clubs left in the top flight with the Reds just two points adrift of their rivals at the summit.

With both sides having conceded just five goals a piece over that period (an average of just 0.38 per game) – as opposed to 38 in as many matches that Klopp's team conceded last season it would appear that their attempts at a more sustained title challenge are based around a more controlled style of play.

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Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “It's interesting because the narrative all season has been about when Liverpool are going to start playing like last season.

“However, it may get to the stage where we ask are Liverpool maybe slightly different this season.

“Don't forget there's no Philippe Coutinho. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain brought great drive and pace from midfield. The front three were away at the World Cup also. “You've now got Virgil van Dijk and a goalkeeper (Alisson).”

(Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire)

Carragher, who turned out 737 times for Liverpool between 1997-2013, played in a Reds side that shipped less than 30 Premier League goals a season for four consecutive campaigns under Rafa Benitez (25 in 2005/06; 27 in 2006/07; 28 in 2007/08; 27 in 2008/09) and the former centre-back recognises the importance of being defensively solid.

He added: “Is it a little bit more like the Liverpool teams I played in?

“Last season I said this team plays football that our teams never played. But it's actually now going back a little bit to maybe [Rafa] Benitez and [Gerard] Houllier's sort of time.

“They probably do play a little bit more football than we did but they can actually rely on the defence to win them a game.”