Jurgen Klopp instructed his Liverpool players to not think too much about what is going on at Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side are Liverpool's only competition for a first Premier League title.
And the Reds boss wanted to instill a level of calm in his own camp to prevent pressure getting the best of his players, and causing them to slip up at the most crucial part of the season.
For the most part Klopp has done an excellent job of keeping his players grounded.
On the training ground the German is often seen smiling from ear to ear and hugging his players, regardless of the result from the day before.
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"I've been to training sessions and I've seen Liverpool players laughing and joking between things but when they're working, they work," said Ian Rush on Sky Sports not too long ago.
"And when they have a break, they are talking to each other, they are enjoying being with each other, they put their arms around each other and that comes from the manager."
The Liverpool team took Klopp's instruction on board.
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Both James Milner and Joel Matip opted against watching the Manchester Derby with the former even going to dinner on the night.
Milner later admitted it would be a "waste of energy" to watch the derby - a match he could not influence in anyway.
Things changed on Monday though as Manchester City prepared to take on 2016 Premier League champions Leicester City.
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The Liverpool players opted to watch the match, sensing it would be a difficult task for the Citizens, and could put the Reds back in the driving seat.
And indeed it was. Manchester City didn't blow the Foxes away. But they did get the result they needed to return them to the summit.
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The man responsible for the winner was none other than Vincent Kompany, who took a chance and fired one home from range.
According to The New York Times, the Liverpool players' WhatsApp messages were dominated by the same emoji - the mind blown one.
