Given Liverpool's dreadful league form this year — three draws and two defeats — it is remarkable that victory over second-place Tottenham at Anfield on Saturday will see Jürgen Klopp's team only one point behind the visitors.
Unless Chelsea implodes as the Atlanta Falcons did against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51, the Premier League title is a done deal, which means the chasing pack of Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are involved in the only realistic prize available — second place.
At the end of 2016 Liverpool was only six points behind Chelsea, having scored more goals than anyone else in the division. The title was still within its sights. The wheels have not exactly fallen off, but Liverpool is unrecognizable from the team that was running riot in the first half of the season, which is why Saturday's game, while not quite do-or-die for Liverpool, but defeat would leave it seven points behind Spurs and trailing Chelsea by 16 if the leader wins at Burnley.