If the points tally for Liverpool's return to Premier League action paints a flawless picture, a little has been lacking from the aesthetics.
Victories over Aston Villa and Leicester in recent days have whittled what was a seven-point deficit to the top four down to just two and conventional wisdom suggests now is not the time to grumble about the performances that are churning out the results.
Gathering momentum during the post-Christmas period is vital for the Reds, so back-to-back wins in hard-fought contests will have been an ideal scenario for when Jurgen Klopp surveyed the landscape earlier this month.
