The rhetoric sounded tub-thumping enough, all tantalising talk of titles and unfinished business, but the mischievous sparkle in Gerard Houllier's eye spoke volumes.
"A few weeks ago it was all about Arsenal, but now everyone's tipping us for the title," he said with a playful shrug. "Funny how things change overnight."
Liverpool, snug rather than smug at the top, will enjoy the summit for a while yet. A gritty victory over an impressive Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday established a four-point advantage from their nearest rivals.
A similar lead was wasted last season but this win means Houllier's side have lost only once in 28 Premiership games. Such relentless consistency is likely to yield tangible reward.
"Over the last three years we have worked hard and set a benchmark for the future, but just as significantly we have also learnt from the past," said the Frenchman, who watched his side roar to the top from a hospital bed as he recovered from heart surgery a year ago before a dip in December basically did for Liverpool's title prospects.
"We are more consistent than last season - we are strong, solid and have a burning desire - but our spirit is probably our greatest asset.
"A year ago people were suggesting I shouldn't come back, but that never crossed my mind. We'd turned the club around, but that wasn't enough for me. Often after a serious operation like mine you suffer a period of depression, but staying busy prevented that happening to me."
Where other challengers have bemoaned strength-sapping fixture pile-ups, whinging about aching limbs and tired minds, Liverpool have quietly followed up all nine of their midweek Champions League away fixtures since qualifying for that competition last season with Premiership wins on the following weekend. Arsenal and Manchester United take note.
Danny Murphy's delicious curler and Michael Owen's late penalty - his 32nd goal in 43 Premiership appearances, nutmegging Chris Perry to prompt Stephen Carr's lunge - maintained that remarkable record.
"It's all about focus," said Murphy, outstanding in a dominant home midfield in which Salif Diao's verve was irresistible. "We are not going to get carried away. We were top last year but were overtaken; we have to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Glenn Hoddle's team were narrowly beaten here last season and, for all their slick passing and stifling defence, suffered similarly harsh disappointment this time around and were left grumbling about optimistic penalty appeals for handball against Jamie Carragher in stoppage time.
Dean Richards' and Perry's endeavour appeared to have nullified the home threat but Gustavo Poyet fluffed two opportunities within 60 seconds to undermine the hard work. First Jerzy Dudek dived to flick away a shot on the turn from Robbie Keane's pass and Djimi Traore's deflection, then Dietmar Hamann blocked a header on the line from the resultant corner; within minutes, Murphy's opener had set the tone.
Poyet made his first start of the season after a cruciate ligament injury but had been substituted by the time Richards gathered John Arne Riise's panicked clearance, found Milenko Acimovic and continued his run to head the Slovenian's cross down and beyond Dudek for deserved parity.
Guardian Service
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Traore, Hyypia, Riise, Gerrard (Smicer 68), Hamann, Diao, Murphy, Diouf (Baros 58), Owen. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Babbel, Cheyrou. Booked: Diouf, Smicer. Goals: Murphy 72, Owen 86 pen.
TOTTENHAM: Keller, Perry, Richards, Bunjevcevic, Carr, Freund, Redknapp (Etherington 90), Poyet (Acimovic 80), Davies, Keane, Sheringham (Ferdinand 75). Subs Not Used: Hirschfeld, Gardner. Booked: Redknapp, Carr, Richards, Freund. Goals: Richards 82.
Referee: M Riley (West Yorkshire).
