Jürgen Klopp has said there is no margin for error in Liverpool’s challenge to Manchester City because Pep Guardiola’s team are performing like champions without a weakness.

Liverpool can establish a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Friday when they visit Wolverhampton Wanderers. Klopp’s side have won their past six league matches, are unbeaten in 18 Premier League fixtures and their total of 45 points is the club’s biggest after 17 games of a season. But the manager insists there can be no let-up because of the sustained excellence of the reigning champions.

“I have to respect that City are really, really, really good,” the manager said. “I can’t say that City are lucky here and lucky there. They aren’t. Every match day they are spot on. They were last year when they got 100 points and they stay in that mode. Chapeau. I have to say it, there’s no sign of weakness. In the first 15 minutes against Everton maybe, but that was 12.30pm after a Champions League game so it was an extended warm-up and there were balls flying around and missed passes. But after that they took charge of the game and won it comfortably. Thank you very much. Next one.

“They are the current champions and they still play like champions. We are all the challengers. That’s why we should concentrate on every game and not take any result for granted. We are all judged on that because they are the champions, they can do it, so it should be possible for us as well.”

Liverpool will again be without Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joël Matip at Molineux but, despite losing three right-sided defenders to injury, Klopp claims a replacement in January is unlikely.

The manager, who is hopeful of having Alexander-Arnold back from a foot problem for Boxing Day, said: “I don’t know exactly what will happen until the transfer window closes. In the moment it looks that Joe and Joël will be back before the window closes, so why should we do that?

“I’m not sure it’s possible to get somebody just for January with the quality we need.”