Xherdan Shaqiri says Liverpool “are not robots” but believes they have enough players with match-winning ability at their disposal to grind out wins when not at their best.
The Reds have maintained a commendable level of consistency this season, suffering just one Premier League defeat through 24 games.
Jurgen Klopp’s side sit top of the table as a result, with a trip to West Ham on Monday presenting them with a chance to extend their lead over reigning champions Manchester City to five points.
Liverpool’s only setback so far came against City on January 3 and since then they have battled to narrow wins over Brighton and Crystal Palace, and a 1-1 draw with Leicester.
It has been suggested that nerves are starting to show in the title race, but Shaqiri believes the odd dip is to be expected from a side that has been so entertaining over recent years.
The Switzerland international told the Reds’ official website: “We are not robots and we sometimes have not the best days, that’s pretty normal. But, even on bad days, you can win games with a moment of individuality.
“We keep working hard in training and it’s very important to take that work into the game. Then, I think when we do that, we bring that onto the pitch, then I am sure we are going to win a lot of games.
“We have to be focused, to have the mentality to go into the game to win, to try to take the lead in the game and produce a very good performance – that’s the most important thing from all the players on the pitch. It’s going to be tough.”
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Klopp has regularly called on his players to remain focused on the present, rather than become caught up in title hype, and Shaqiri has echoed those comments as the pressure mounts at Anfield.
He added: “We don’t want to look to the other clubs – we just look to ourselves. We take it game by game, try to win games, to be successful.
“We work hard every day and have fun together – that’s very important in training, to enjoy the time when we are working hard. Then, we go into the game to try to win it, to try to produce good performances.”
Shaqiri has also saluted the team spirit being built by Liverpool, with everybody pulling in the same direction.
He said: “It’s been very important; to be together as a team is so important. When you want to be successful, every player has to give everything to the team.
“We win games as a team, we lose games as a team – everything we do is together.
“It’s a very nice group, a good group – a funny group. I am enjoying every day working with them, trying to improve myself and trying to improve the team.”