Right through the Premier League chasing pack, the players are trying to maintain the same mindset, and repeating the same message. It is that, if they just seek to stay concentrated and keep winning, Chelsea can still be caught.

Pablo Zabaleta was the latest, looking to strengthen his side’s resolve by referencing how his Manchester City hauled Manchester United in back in 2011-12.

“We have to believe, keep working and try to improve as a team and see what happens at the end of it.”

You can easily forgive such a thought process, of course, because it is probably essential to stave off the sense of utter futility that comes from the actual difficulty of catching Chelsea right now.

It says much about how things are going for Antonio Conte’s team, after all, that they still extended their lead to nine points on Tuesday night, despite letting a lead slip at Anfield to draw 1-1 and missing a 77th-minute penalty to win it. What should have been a first slip in a month ended up only strengthening their hold on the top.

The key positive for everyone else to remember, though, is that Chelsea’s lead is not historically insurmountable. In the 24 full seasons of the Premier League era so far, two wider gaps have actually been completely cut, and the situation that Zabaleta spoke of in 2011-12 wasn’t even one of them.



United were actually only eight points clear of City at the height of that run-in, but Sir Alex Ferguson - the grand master of winning English titles - was still responsible for one greater collapse.

That was in 1997-98, when his United were 11 points clear of Arsenal in February, albeit with two games more played.

The other was of course when Ferguson himself set the standard for how such races could still be won, as United famously steamrolled Newcastle United’s 12-point lead in 1995-96.

Sir Alex Ferguson always told his players that Kevin Keegan's Newcastle were "the type of team that give you a chance.” (Getty)

Those two seasons are something for everyone else to keep in mind, to necessarily strengthen their mentality at a difficult time.

The negative, however, is that the nature of those campaigns doesn’t exactly fit what is happening this season.

Take 1995-96, a campaign that became most famous for Kevin Keegan’s ‘I will love it’ explosion and how that was representative of Newcastle’s meltdown. The real key was that Ferguson had spotted that was likely much earlier.

Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Simon Mignolet - 6 out of 10 Horrendously at fault for Chelsea's opener but made amends by saving Costa's late penalty. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Nathaniel Clyne - 7 out of 10 Performed well at the back after passing a fitness test, he was unable to get forward to support the attack. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Joel Matip - 7 out of 10 Impressed in his individual battle with Costa, but gave away a penalty when ran at in the area. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Dejan Lovren - 6 out of 10 Guilty of some major lapses in concentration when given too much time on the ball. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings James Milner - 7 out of 10 The makeshift defender got up and down well, and showed great awareness in setting up Wijnaldum's equaliser. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Georginio Wijnaldum - 7 out of 10 Troubled Chelsea with his late runs into the box, and netted his side's equaliser. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Jordan Henderson - 8 out of 10 Led by example. Pivotal in the move from which his side equalised and denied Pedro with a brilliant late challenge. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Emre Can - 6 out of 10 An improved performance in midfield, but offered little in terms of creativity. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Adam Lallana - 6 out of 10 A quiet night for the midfielder who still managed to show off some lovely touches. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Roberto Firmino - 6 out of 10 Kept Chelsea's defenders busy but was wasteful with two glorious chances. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Philippe Coutinho - 7 out of 10 Played 75 minutes as he continues his comeback from injury, there were glimpses of the ingenuity Liverpool have been missing in his absence. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Thibaut Courtois - 6 out of 10 Few saves to make although the Belgian showed his opposite number the best way to organise a defence. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta - 7 out of 10 Tracked his opponents superbly well in defence, and didn't give Coutinho many moments to shine. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings David Luiz - 8 out of 10 Solid at the back, he showed initiative and ability in scoring his first goal since rejoining the club. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Gary Cahill - 7 out of 10 Found himself under little pressure, he was a dominant force with the ball in the air. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Victor Moses - 6 out of 10 Pinned back by Milner's eagerness, he snatched at the chances that did fall his way in the attacking third. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings N'Golo Kante - 8 out of 10 Didn't give Liverpool's midfield a moment's peace, his engine ran all the way to the final whistle. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Nemanja Matic - 6 out of 10 Kept his position in front of the defence, mopping up any danger that presented itself. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Marcos Alonso - 6 out of 10 Quiet in attack after recent heroics, he was needed to perform defensive duties as Chelsea dropped deep. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Willian - 7 out of 10 Responsible for a number of testing deliveries into the Liverpool penalty area that his teammates failed to make the most of. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Eden Hazard - 7 out of 10 Oozed class when on the ball - if only it had been more often. Eventually replaced by Pedro. Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings Diego Costa - 6 out of 10 On the fringes of the contest, his showed both sides to his game when he won and then missed a late penalty.

Even as Newcastle kept winning right into February, the United manager kept repeating one message to his squad.

“Newcastle are the type of team that give you a chance.”

He felt that there was an inherent fragility there even when they were winning, that would be exposed as the number of fixtures remaining kept shortening and every match became more exacting.

It is impossible to say that about this Chelsea, not when they’ve conceded just 16 goals in 23 games and have a scoring record of over two goals a game. In fact, it is a description that better fits most of the chasing pack. Arsenal remain eternally unreliable, as the defeat to Watford proved, while both Liverpool and City have the defensive frailties of that Newcastle side.

Are any of the chasing pack capable of engineering a run like Ferguson's 1996 Manchester United side? (Getty)

It still seems difficult to see any challenger go on the kind of relentless run that United did in 1995-96, or Arsenal did in 1997-98.

Arsene Wenger’s first title was aided on the other side by the amount of severe injuries that Ferguson suffered, too, and that is perhaps the one hope for everyone else.

There are two players in the Chelsea squad that don’t have direct replacements, or even the kind of options they can alternate around. They are David Luiz and Diego Costa.