"That's crazy, nine points," the Liverpool manager said.

"You cannot imagine that something like this can happen."

It's very real after Liverpool beat City 3-1 at Anfield courtesy of goals from Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Only 12 games have been played, with another 26 to go in the pursuit of a first title since 1990 for the 18-time English champions.

Klopp is not getting carried away and claimed it was too early in the season for their lead - eight points clear of Leicester and Chelsea, and nine over champions City - to be significant.

"It's not important because who wants to be first in early November," Klopp said.

"People will 100 per cent say, and have said already, that from now on Liverpool can only lose it."

It could have been so different on Sunday with the game's major talking point coming before the hosts took the lead.

Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to have handled the ball in the box in the fifth minute but referee Michael Oliver ruled play on.

The Reds countered and 21 seconds later took the lead when Fabinho drove home from 25 yards.

There was another penalty shout for handball against Alexander-Arnold late on but, again, City were denied.

Seven minutes after the opener Salah headed home at the far post, the goal rightfully confirmed by another VAR check - this time for offside.

City's hole got deeper six minutes after halftime as Mane scored with a header of his own.

Bernardo Silva's goal gave the visitors a glimmer of hope on 78 minutes but it was too little, too late.

At the final whistle, City boss Pep Guardiola appeared to tell Oliver and his assistants "thank you very much" as he shook their hands.

Afterwards, the Spaniard couldn't be drawn into discussing VAR.

"Ask to the referees, don't ask me. Ask to [referee's head] Mike Riley and the guys in VAR," he said.

"I would like to talk about our performance ... it was one of the best we have played."

In Sunday's other games, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers climbed into the top half of the table with home wins.

Andreas Pereira and Marcus Rashford scored to help United beat Brighton 3-1, with an own goal also boosting the hosts.

Goals from Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez led Wolves past Aston Villa 2-1 in a West Midlands derby.

The wins leave both United and Wolves on 16 points.

"It was an excellent performance from the lads," United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told the BBC.

"The table does not really matter at the moment.

"We need to keep improving and keep winning games and see where it takes us."

Australian Associated Press