Solskjaer is adamant Utd squad of 1998-99 remains the greatest English club side

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is adamant the Manchester United squad of 1998-99 remains the greatest English club side, despite Liverpool's near-flawless Premier League form.

Liverpool have only dropped five points from 28 matches and succumbed to their first league loss of the season in a 3-0 humbling by Watford on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp's side can no longer match United's Treble feat after they were ejected from the FA Cup at the fifth round stage by Chelsea on Tuesday night, and have also lost more competitive matches than United did in 1998-99.

Champions-elect Liverpool could amass 109 points if they win their last 10 fixtures and need 101 to surpass City's top-flight record of 100 from 2017-18. City's pursuit of a Treble last year was foiled by Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League quarter-finals last year, and Arsenal's 'Invincibles' of 2003-04 were beaten by United in the FA Cup semi-finals and Chelsea in the Champions League last eight.

Arsenal have not won a title since 2004, whereas United's '99 immortals clinched the first of three consecutive championships, having seen off the Arsenal double winners of 1997-98. United did not lose again in 98-99 after a shock 3-2 defeat to Middlesbrough on December 20 that Sir Alex Ferguson was not present for due to a family funeral.

"Of course, it was very difficult and if you look at the semi-final versus Arsenal, for example, Peter Schmeichel's last-minute penalty save [from Dennis Bergkamp], that was the fine margins," Solskjaer said. "If he scores there, I'm 99 per cent sure that Arsenal would have gone on and won the double. Because that mental advantage we got from winning that game just tipped us over the line in the league as well.

"We had a very strong squad, we had a manager who knew when to pick who and when. I felt trusted in the FA Cup, [Dwight] Yorkie and [Andy] Coley played more in the league and Champions League. You've got to take risks and you have got to gamble and you've got to be lucky and we had all of them.

"The squad I was in with Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes: you win something but you move on. You want to be better. You want to win the training session the next day, [win] playing cards. That group of players we had in '99; their personality and the drive and the hunger in them was unbelievable.

"I didn't have that when I came to Man United: I was happy, smiley, I was always trying to be the best I could be, but when I came here and started to win things I realised that that was not what football is all about. It was not just trying to better yourself, it's challenging yourself all the time and being hungry and going for it.

"That is why I tried my last effort and did a last operation, because I needed to be 100 per cent to play for Manchester United. You have to be 100 per cent every day if you want to win trophies.

"We only lost four games that year. It's all about trophies. If you could choose the games you lose, you would rather lose three in the league and in the League Cup game than three in the cup and one in the league.

"Sir Alex was the best at managing that squad, because we hit a good run from Boxing Day [against Nottingham Forest]. He was at a funeral up in Scotland. Jimmy Ryan took charge of the team - he'll be very happy with me mentioning this now - but that was the last game we lost that season; 3-2 against Middlesbrough. He put me and Scholesy on the bench and we lost!

"It was a remarkable season, absolutely incredible, but the competition is tougher now. There are more top teams. We can't say that Liverpool have not had a competitor because the quality in the league is high, so they have done great so far.

"But, of course, for me now - cup games as well - any given team can beat anyone. But it was just us and Arsenal back then."