There is a popular German saying which, roughly translated, states that ‘a good horse only jumps as high as it needs to’.
It is an idiom that feels like a particularly good fit for Liverpool’s season thus far - not least because of the birthplace of their manager.
Had you not watched Saturday’s 4-0 win over Southampton, you might assume that the hosts enjoyed a largely comfortable afternoon at Anfield.
But those who followed all 90 minutes will know that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Unable to play through Southampton’s expertly coordinated press, the Reds ended the first half having been outshot 10-8 and facing the stiffest test of their unbeaten credentials in a long while.
Still, the visitors hadn’t taken even one of their many excellent chances by the time the whistle blew for half-time - they really should have known better.
Put it this way: if you are going to marginally outplay this Liverpool team for 45 minutes, you better hope that you make it count.
Of course, the Saints didn’t, and so left room for Liverpool’s remarkable reserves of character and quality to shine through in the second period at Anfield.
And the improvement in that regard was best summed up by Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson.
All three players seemed to have taken Southampton’s first-half showing personally, and so elected to drag Liverpool to another level following the restart.
It is that ability to react almost angrily to minor setbacks such as being marginally second best for a half that saw the Reds end up as 4-0 winners.
It is also why this season is no longer solely about going on to lift the Premier League title.
Behind closed doors, Klopp’s side already know they are going to end the club’s 30-year wait for the championship, but they chase every win like a team that knows it can play its way into the record books.
In beating Southampton, the Reds moved 22 points clear of second-placed Manchester City - the biggest lead in English top-flight history.
They can also set a new benchmark for consecutive home wins in the division with a 21st success while becoming the first team ever to take 108 points from 38 games in a row.
Arsenal’s unbeaten team of 2003-04 are surely next in their sights; Liverpool need just three wins and 10 draws from their remaining games to match both the Gunners’ achievement and their points tally for that season.
There is still some truth in the idea that much of this campaign has been about simply doing enough to keep the wins coming - in the case of today, that meant a remarkable second-half performance.
But there is a wider theme at play for Klopp’s men, and that is about leaping higher than any team has done before.
