Liverpool on course to rewrite Premier League record books

Liverpool equalled one Premier League record on Monday night and are on course for several more before a memorable season concludes.

Jurgen Klopp’s side edged out West Ham 3-2 for their 18th successive Premier League win, matching Manchester City’s record.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what the Reds have already achieved and which other records – many belonging to Pep Guardiola’s 2017-18 champions – they can still break.

Records already achieved

Consecutive wins

Liverpool went within one of the record when they won their first eight games this term to add to nine in a row at the end of last season’s valiant title chase. A draw with Manchester United ended that run but they swiftly embarked on another and have a 100 per cent record since October 27.

Consecutive home wins

Their 21 successive victories at Anfield is a Premier League record, beating another City side from 2011-12, and equalled Liverpool’s own all-time record in the English top flight. That was set under Bill Shankly’s management in 1972 and could be surpassed with a win over Bournemouth on March 7.

Most assists for a defender

Positional designations can be hazy, and Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia had 13 assists in a 2011-12 season in which he occasionally played at right-back before switching there later in his career, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 12 assists matches his record tally from last season for a full-time member of the back line.

Possible records

Points in a season

City became the Premier League’s first centurions two years ago, finishing with 100. Liverpool are on course to smash that, sitting on 79 with 11 games left, with a possible 112 on the cards. They need another 22 points, which could be achieved with eight more wins, to break the record.

Earliest title win

If Liverpool win their next four games, regardless of second-placed City or anyone else’s results, they will lock up the title with seven matches to spare – beating the record of five, which City’s centurions share with the Manchester United side of 2000-01. Should City drop further points, the Reds could even win it sooner than that – possibly at the home of rivals Everton on March 16.

Winning margin

Their current lead of 22 exceeds the Premier League’s record winning margin, City’s 19 points over United two years ago.

Most wins

Having won 26 out of 27 games this season, another seven from their remaining 11 games will take them past that City side’s record of 32.

Unbeaten season

Only Arsenal in 2003-04 have ever gone through a Premier League season without losing. Liverpool can become the second “Invincibles” and have already recorded as many wins as Arsene Wenger’s Gunners, who drew 12 games that season.

Longest unbeaten run

Arsenal extended their run to 49 games – Liverpool need six more to reach 50. Depending on their FA Cup commitments, they could equal the record against City on April 5 and bring up their half-century against Aston Villa a week later.

Consecutive manager of the month awards

If Klopp wins the February award he will match Guardiola’s achievement of four in a row between September and December 2012. The German has won five of the six trophies awarded this season, a run interrupted only by Chelsea’s Frank Lampard in October.

Consecutive Golden Boots

Only Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry have ever won the Premier League Golden Boot in three successive seasons – the latter with Arsenal from 2003-04 to 2005-06, while Shearer won the 1994-95 and 1995-96 prizes with Blackburn and the following year’s with Newcastle. Mohamed Salah won the award in 2017-18 and shared last season’s honour with team-mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – he is currently two behind Aubameyang and Leicester’s Jamie Vardy, on 15 goals.

Fewest draws

A mere footnote, but just one draw so far keeps Chelsea’s record of three, set in both 1997-98 and 2016-17, in sight.