Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his red-hot Reds have the talent to get to the top of the Premier League

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This time a year ago a red-hot Liverpool were joint top of the Premier League and about to deliver a 6-1 thumping to Watford which would see them take sole possession of the lead.

After an initially laboured, eventually comfortable victory over bus-parking Huddersfield at an at-times eerily quiet Anfield, they now sit in sixth place, 12 points off runaway table toppers Manchester City.

Perhaps it was surprising, then, to hear a relieved Jurgen Klopp declare that he still believes his stuttering side has the talent to reach that summit again.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes his red-hot Reds can close the gap on the league leaders 

'Do I still think it's possible (to be top)?' the German said. 'Yes, 100-per-cent. But I know too it takes time. That's it. The boys are good enough.' For long periods it looked as though they were not good enough to beat a resilient, yet limited Terriers.

As four blokes from this city once noted, you get by with a little help from your friends. But with Halloween looming it was Tommy Smith, captain of Klopp's best pal David Wagner's visitors, who did his bit to allow the home side to put last weekend's 4-1 horror show at the hands of Tottenham behind them.

With Liverpool struggling to break the Yorkshire side down, Smith needlessly grabbed the shirt of Roberto Firmino in the area.

Daniel Sturridge scored the first goal as Liverpool beat Huddersfield at Anfield on Saturday 

The England international pulled off his trademark celebration after breaking the deadlock

Mohamed Salah, who recently scored the penalty to send Egypt to the World Cup, picked up the ball and saw his shot well saved by Jonas Lossl.

It was not lost on his manager. 'I thought it made sense after the Egypt penalty,' he said with a smile. 'The pressure is bigger in Liverpool than in Egypt!' No matter. Following the break, Smith was at it again, this time inadvertently heading into Daniel Sturridge's path in front of the Kop.

The England man dinked over Lossl and the pressure valve was released, with further strikes from Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum following.

Georginio Wijnaldum scored the Reds' third as they got back to winning ways at Anfield

While it was a performance that answered few questions, at least it did not trigger new ones.

'At this moment it feels good,' said Klopp. 'Clean sheet, scored three, reacting to a missed penalty. I'm officially happy.' Much happier than he was following that Wembley thumping, according to Joel Matip.

'He didn't hold back, he said it directly,' the defender revealed of his manager. 'He said it was not good enough – he spoke very honestly about the things that have to change, very directly, but after this he said we carry on a try to prepare for the next game.' Matip, part of a defence which was rarely troubled and coped well with the loss of Dejan Lovren, also asked for time.

'We are young, really young,' he said. 'We are staying together, and we will improve.'

They will need to. 

Mohamed Salah was on penalty duty for the Reds but his effort went straight at 'keeper Lossl