“And now you’re gonna believe us. We’re gonna win the league.”

It took 64 points, going 16 clear at the summit with a game in hand, and a goal at the death from Mohamed Salah against the old enemy for Liverpool fans to finally let go and thunder that chorus for the first time this season.

“We’re not really thinking about the end,” Jordan Henderson said on the pitch afterwards, as the chant reached its crescendo. “Why should we change now? For us, as players, it’s the next game, the next challenge and the Premier League’s tough.”

The fans, though, could indulge themselves.

Liverpool have not lost a Premier League game for 381 days. They have suffered just one top-flight loss in the last 623 and that statistic never looked remotely in danger against Manchester United at Anfield.

Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Show all 22 1 /22 Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Alisson - 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Alisson Becker of Liverpool celebrates during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on January 19, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) Matthew Ashton - AMA Getty Images Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Trent Alexander-Arnold - 6 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold holds the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.(AP Photo/Jon Super) Jon Super AP Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Joe Gomez - 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Andreas Pereira of Manchester United and Joe Gomez of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on January 19, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) Matthew Ashton - AMA Getty Images Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Virgil van Dijk - 8 Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk jumps to celebrate scoring his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.(AP Photo/Jon Super) Jon Super AP Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Andy Robertson - 6 epa08141733 Liverpool's Andrew Robertson (R) in action against Manchester United's Daniel James (L) during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United held at Anfield in Liverpool, Britain, 19 January 2020. EPA/PETER POWELL EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. PETER POWELL EPA Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Jordan Henderson - 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on January 19, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) Matthew Ashton - AMA Getty Images Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Georginio Wijnaldum - 8 Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Manchester United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 19, 2020 Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum in action with Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. PHIL NOBLE REUTERS Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 7 Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Manchester United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 19, 2020 Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in action with Manchester United's Nemanja Matic Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. CARL RECINE Action Images via Reuters Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Mohamed Salah - 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Brandon Williams of Manchester United and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on January 19, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. 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RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Martin Rickett PA Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United David de Gea - 5 Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Manchester United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 19, 2020 Manchester United's David de Gea reacts Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. CARL RECINE Action Images via Reuters Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Brandon Williams - 5 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Brandon Williams of Manchester United in action with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on January 19, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images) Ash Donelon Manchester United via Getty Imag Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Luke Shaw - 6 Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Manchester United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 19, 2020 Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in action with Manchester United's Luke Shaw REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. PHIL NOBLE REUTERS Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Harry Maguire - 5 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Liverpool's Roberto Firmino vies for possession with Harry Maguire during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United at Anfield on January 19, 2020 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images) Alex Dodd - CameraSport CameraSport via Getty Images Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Victor Lindelof - 5 Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Manchester United - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 19, 2020 Liverpool's Sadio Mane in action with Manchester United's Victor Lindelof REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. 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No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) PAUL ELLIS AFP via Getty Images Ratings: Liverpool vs Man United Andreas Pereira - 4 Manchester United's Belgian-born Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira (C) is challenged by Liverpool's Senegalese striker Sadio Mane (L) during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, north west England on January 19, 2020. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. 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The 1-0 scoreline until Salah’s breakaway finish in the closing seconds on a baltic Sunday evening may have fooled some into thinking this was a tense, tight contest between English football’s most successful clubs.

The truth is that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were competitive for the first 14 minutes, before Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner was headed in by Virgil van Dijk, who unsurprisingly ousted Brandon Williams to convert the opener.

United had started positively on Merseyside, pressing the hosts high up and not allowing them a chance to build tempo or any meaningful spell in possession.

They had doubled up on Salah and Solskjaer encouraging applauded as “the plan” he had referenced several times in the build-up to the showdown made the opening period uncomfortable for Liverpool.

Then came the goal. And, for the most part, total domination followed. The league leaders had two goals disallowed, were in disbelief when Salah missed an absolute sitter and cursed as the excellent Jordan Henderson struck the post. Liverpool kept creating, kept United under swathes of pressure, but somehow couldn’t make it count.

Andreas Pereira fluffed the opportunity to punish those wasted openings in the first half, before Anthony Martial concluded their best attack of the game by lashing his effort over the bar in the second. They were largely blunt sans the services of Marcus Rashford, who faces at least two months on the sidelines due to a double stress fracture in his back.

Liverpool were nowhere near their apex and bar a normal, late push from United in the hopes of landing a sucker punch, they didn’t really seem in trouble despite being sloppy.

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring (Getty)

Some of the football played in the first 45 and at the start of the second period felt as though it was on a different planet to United’s, which often distilled into ‘run, Daniel James, run!’

Liverpool had 12 shots inside the box and how only one goal separated the sides had flummoxed those inside Anfield.

But then United got a corner in their last throw of the dice, which Alisson eventually collected and directed upfield for Salah.

The Egyptian sped away, holding off James and sliding past David de Gea to finally give the home side the cushion they craved.

The whistle went with Liverpool on their perch, 30 points ahead of United. And the song, that song echoed around the ground.

“I think everyone wants us to say something about the title, but we won’t,” Van Dijk said. “We won’t get carried away. We cannot, and we won’t.”

There are no such restrictions for supporters. “They can sing whatever they want – apart from my name before the game is finished! I'm not here to dictate what they have to sing,” Klopp said.

“If our fans would not be in a good mood now, that would be really strange. The only thing that I can tell you is that we are here to work.