Jurgen Klopp paid a glowing tribute to his captain fantastic Jordan Henderson as Liverpool took another inexorable step towards becoming champions.
Henderson is in arguably the best form of his Liverpool career and he was Man-of-the-Match again in a 2-0 win over Sheffield United that means his side have now completed a calendar year for being unbeaten in the Premier League.
When Fabinho was injured at the end of November, there were concerns that Liverpool would struggle without their key defensive midfielder but Henderson has slotted seamlessly into the position and ensured the Brazilian has not been missed.
Though Henderson will find the praise coming his way uncomfortable – his first words after this triumph were focused on Liverpool's need to 'keep improving' – Klopp could not have been more effusive in his appraisal of the 29-year-old.
'He is exceptional; he is outstanding,' said Klopp, whose plans for this game suffered a late setback when Naby Keita, who had been selected to play, was injured in the warm-up.
'Gini (Wijnaldum) and Hendo, especially, because they have had to play the biggest number of games this season.
'What they do is just incredible – absolutely incredible. I do not take that for granted for one second. If anybody who is with us still doesn't see the quality of Jordan Henderson, then I cannot help them.
'Is Hendo the perfect football player? No. Do I know anybody who is? No.
'But is he is unbelievably important to us? Yes. He didnt like the No 6 position when he saw how good Fabinho is.
'I asked him two or three weeks ago when he had already been exceptional, "you don't like the position do you?" He was laughing and before that he was playing at centre-half!
'I don't know which position Gareth Southgate will play him in (at Euro 2020) but there are a few options!
'You see in life that character and mentality helps always and especially with him. For me it is just difficult to speak only about one player because I always feel I have to mention all the others.'
This was the eighteenth consecutive Premier League victory at Anfield – since a 1-1 draw with Leicester last January – and the sequence IS the second longest winning run at home in the club's history; only Bill Shankly's team from 1972, who managed 21, can better it.
It is now 51 games since they have been beaten at Anfield and the inevitability about them winning matches can be judged by the fact this was the 38th consecutive time they have scored the opening goal and gone on to be victorious.
Chris Wilder, Sheffield United's manager, was disappointed that his team did not cause Liverpool more problems but he was bowled over by the intensity with which the league leaders played at the end of a frantic period.
'It was comfortable for Liverpool,' said Wilder. 'I'm full of admiration for the manager.
'But if there is ever an example to young players why they are world champions, European champions and why they look like they will be Premier League winners, the basic stuff they had to do, they did it.
'They won tackles; won races, dropped on second balls. They ran forward, ran back, defend as a team, they did miles better than us. It's not like us to not lay a glove on someone.'