Dejan Lovren believes Jurgen Klopp has completed his Liverpool “puzzle” as he insisted: “Now we have everything.”
The unbeaten Reds are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a record-breaking first half of the season.
With 51 points, it's
Liverpool's highest ever total after 19 matches and the Croatia international insists that's down to the fact that
Klopp now boasts a squad with no weaknesses as a result of the club's shrewd dealings in the transfer market and the manager's ability to develop talent.
This is
Lovren's fifth season with the Reds and he's been part of teams who have come agonisingly close to glory.
Asked what the current crop possess which was lacking previously, he paused before saying: “I think experience.
“There are quite a lot of players still here and it was like a puzzle, you just keep bringing these players you missed and now I think it’s a perfect match.
“You feel that in the squad, it’s how it should be. There has always been something missing all these years but I think now we have everything.”
A roar swept around Anfield on Boxing Day when news of Leicester City's late winner against Manchester City filtered through.
But Lovren revealed that Klopp's players had no idea that the champions had slumped to a third defeat in four games until they got back to the dressing room after the Reds' 4-0 rout of Newcastle.
“Nobody knew to be honest. We just heard when we went in,” he said.
“It was like: ‘What happened? Really? Again?’ But this is football, it can happen to everyone. We should learn from the mistakes of others.”
With 16 wins and three draws, Liverpool are enjoying their longest unbeaten start to a league season since 1987/88.
But Lovren revealed that Klopp's players had no idea that the champions had slumped to a third defeat in four games until they got back to the dressing room after the Reds' 4-0 rout of Newcastle.
They have rattled off eight successive league victories ahead of Saturday's visit of Arsenal.
Some have questioned how the Reds will handle being installed as title favourites but Lovren brushed off suggestions that they could buckle under the strain.
“There’s no pressure, to be honest,” he said.
“In previous years, yes, but now when you look in the dressing room, when you go into Melwood in the morning, everybody is happy, nobody talks about anything else than the next game.
“We can’t talk about something that will happen in five months, we go game by game and we will see where we finish.
“We don’t look at who is behind us or in front of us. It’s only about us and that’s how we should do it always. We learn from all these previous seasons.
“We know how in football everything changes quickly. For us, every game is a final. It’s good to hear all these positive words but we don’t live on these positive words, we live on winning games and that’s what matters.”
Lovren, who has grasped his chance to shine since being recalled for the injured Joel Matip, helped maintain that thrilling momentum with an emphatic finish to open the scoring against Newcastle.
His first goal of the season was one to savour as he nailed a half volley into the roof of the net from 14 yards in front of the Kop after Andy Robertson's cross from a short corner had been nodded away by Jamaal Lascelles.
Lovren said: “Usually it’s a position to kick the ball out to be honest but I was lucky enough to score it.
“It wasn’t one off the training ground, we didn’t expect it. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to play it short because we have quite tall players!
“But it’s good. We've scored quite a lot from set-pieces. We got another one from Fabinho… he took my goal I would say!
“It doesn’t matter, the most important thing is the three points and this winning mentality that we need to keep. It’s a good moment for us but are already focused for the next game and this is how it should be.
“Every opponent is tough. It’s not too easy to win 4-0. In training we don’t even win 4-0!”