With Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal all picking up wins, Liverpool will know nothing but three points will do when they play Stoke City at Anfield on Tuesday. With a win over Everton in their last game, confidence will be sky-high and Jurgen Klopp will expect nothing but the best from his side in front of their home crowd.
Watch highlights of Liverpool's win over Everton
While there have been times where Liverpool's defence has looked suspect this season, their attacking displays have never been a problem. With the pace of Sadio Mane, the creativity of Philippe Coutinho, who will be absent from this game through injury, the unending work rate of Roberto Firmino, the guile of Adam Lallana and the precision of a well-rounded midfield, Klopp has built an attacking team that most sides find difficult to stop.
Everton nearly did it in the Merseyside derby, before Mane found the goal in stoppage time to keep Liverpool six points behind leaders Chelsea. That gap is now nine after the Blues beat Bournemouth on Boxing Day, which means the pressure will be on the Reds to reply with a win of their own.
"This moment at Liverpool is fantastic and we have to use it," Klopp said. "We are in the present really good and the future is bright, so go for it. That doesn't mean that we can't lose games.
"We are young enough, we are good enough, we are strong enough and we have an outstanding, skilled team. The only problem is there are a few teams around that have not a worse team, too. It's still football. The more you wish doesn't make it more likely, but it's still possible and we will stay in the race, for sure."
Stoke have had trouble stringing a few wins together and are currently without a victory in three. Two of them have been draws and Hughes will know what sort of impact a team can have for the rest of the season if they manage to beat one of the title contenders.
With a strong attack of their own, Stoke are certainly capable of stopping Liverpool in their tracks. One of them keen to make his mark in this game will be Joe Allen, who was allowed to leave by Klopp in the summer and has thrived in a more forward-thinking role at his new club.
"I think Joe will want to do well when he goes back there, that is natural," Hughes said. "He has nothing to prove there, though, in fairness, because I know that he was appreciated there by supporters and players alike.
"A lot of Liverpool fans expressed surprise when the club allowed him to leave in the summer and I would expect him to receive a tremendous reception."
Where to Watch Live
Liverpool vs Stoke is scheduled for a 10.45pm IST (5.15pm GMT, 12.15pm ET) start. Live Streaming and TV information is below.
India: TV: Star Sports Select HD1. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
Australia: TV: Optus Sport. Live Streaming: Optus Online.
USA: TV: NBCSN. Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live.
Canada: TV: Sportsnet. Live Streaming: Watch Sportsnet.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
China: TV: PPTV, QQ Sports, LeTV.
Singapore: TV: Eleven Plus.
Malaysia: TV: Astro SuperSport 3.
