It was legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who said the race for the English league title is a "marathon not a sprint".
But lasting the distance has proved a problem in recent seasons for the club the Scot moulded into one of the giants of the English game.
Liverpool head into the busy festive period, which sees them welcome Lancashire rivals Bolton Wanderers to Anfield on Friday, with a one-point lead at the top of the table.
However, not since 1990 have Liverpool, who've won the title a record 18 times, been able to call themselves champions of England.
Sammy Lee, now back at Anfield as assistant manager to Rafael Benitez following an ill-fated spell in charge of Bolton, said: "People ask and expect more, and they are entitled to want that.
Liverpool, who could have star striker Fernando Torres back in their side for Friday's Boxing Day clash, haven't lost to top-10 team Bolton at Anfield since 1954.
Twice in successive games have second-placed Chelsea failed to take advantage of Liverpool draws to go top themselves.
But should Benitez's side, held to a 1-1 draw by Arsenal last time out, drop more points it is hard to see Chelsea being quite so generous at home to bottom-of-the-table West Brom, even though the Baggies come into the game on the back of a win over fellow strugglers Manchester City.
Chelsea will, however, be without inspirational captain John Terry after the England centre-half was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Leon Osman during Monday's goalless stalemate against Everton.
Manchester United, buoyed by winning the Club World Cup in Japan, returned to domestic action away to Stoke.
Sir Alex Ferguson's English and European champions are seven points off top spot but with two games in hand.
Stoke are one of several clubs above the bottom three who, even now, are involved in a scrap for survival in the lucrative top tier of English football.
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