Jurgen Klopp has said he is not annoyed by Chelsea's 13-game winning streak by insisting he is only currently focused on Liverpool's fortunes.
The record-equalling run from Antonio Conte's side sees them six points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City attempting to keep pace with the league leaders.
Speaking after his team's 1-0 win over Man City on New Year's Eve, Klopp believed it must be "annoying" for Chelsea that his Liverpool team are within touching distance despite their impressive recent form.
When asked how "annoying" the gap between Liverpool and Chelsea was, the Reds boss replied: "How can we? We come from eighth position, and we think about being champions or whatever?
"So we are much better and you see our position is completely different than when I came here. So we are fine.
"If anybody else thought we need to be champions this year, then maybe it's a little different, but we are fine. We are where we are.
"If we could end there, cool. But if we are there, five match days before the end, and only a few points, then we can really start thinking about something else -- but not at the moment.
"How can you think always 'Oh my God?' I'm not like this, really much more difficult situations in my life than being second in a very, very difficult league.
"We are happy about our way, what the rest is doing we have no influence unless we play them. I'm pretty sure we did not too long ago, and we play them again, right? It's all we can do, I'm not annoyed, not for a second."
Klopp, who won two Bundesliga titles when manager of Borussia Dortmund, says he does not start paying attention to the teams around him in the league table until very late in the season.
"I have to count the teams" he continued. "But probably Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Tottenham, City... probably, yes. I have no idea. Really, I don't think about it.
"I won it twice and I start really late thinking about opportunities. The situation in the table at the moment, I'm happy about it all, we don't care who is around."
Meanwhile, Klopp has explained the decision to move the thriving Adam Lallana into a deeper central midfield role.
The England international mainly featured as an attacking midfielder following his big-money move from Southampton in the summer of 2014, but has since taken up a role in the middle of the pitch under Klopp.
Lallana has excelled in his new position and has already matched last season's goalscoring tally -- finding the back of net seven times this campaign.
"It made sense because he's very good in small spaces," Klopp added. "He's a very quick player but his biggest strength is not being quick, it's his decision-making in small spaces.
"He can open the game for you in one-on-one situations and everybody would have pressure, he doesn't have because he movements are quick. He has a wonderful orientation and needed to adapt a little bit, remember against Arsenal, he lost the ball ... it's all about orientation.
"He has all the technical abilities for playing there."