Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool 'Have so Much Space for Improvement' Despite EPL Lead

Liverpool look like the champions elect of the Premier League, but an 11-point lead at the top hasn't stopped Jurgen Klopp from calling for significant improvement from his team.

The Reds' chief spoke after Liverpool beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday. Liverpool hung on after goalkeeper Alisson Becker was sent off and Lewis Dunk pulled one back for the Seagulls.

Klopp is mindful of how close things were, identifying an inability to take chances as an obvious problem, per Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo: "We cannot create better chances than we had in the first half. When you don't finish them then the opponents get a bit more momentum and you lose it. We would have loved had we finished one or two more off then it looks much more comfortable."

The 52-year-old also challenged his players to get better, despite a 14-match unbeaten run to start the season: "We have so much space for improvement, it is incredible, we know that. But the first job is to win the game, and we did that. We will not stop working on it."

Although Klopp is concerned about the opportunities his team spurned against Brighton, the bigger problem may be the goals Liverpool are conceding. Dunk's free-kick continued a lengthy run of leaking goals, with the Reds not having kept a clean sheet in all competitions since beating Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane back in September.

Liverpool have become particularly vulnerable on home soil:

It's a far cry from last season when Klopp's men boasted the meanest defence in England's top flight. An injury to key centre-back Joel Matip hasn't helped, nor has Alisson's absence earlier in the season, with stand-in Adrian struggling.

Yet for all the missed time, this is still largely the same Liverpool back four as last season. It's a group still led by the brilliance of Virgil van Dijk, who bagged two goals against the Seagulls to highlight an imperious display:

While Van Dijk remains a rock, Klopp's unit overall lacked the usual protection afforded by skilled holding midfielder Fabinho. The latter is out until 2020 with an ankle problem, according to James Carroll of the club's official website.

Fabinho's absence will force Klopp to find new ways to shield Van Dijk and his fellow defenders. It would also help if Liverpool's forward line once again begins scoring freely.

Mohamed Salah is usually the main man, but he has been dealing with an ankle injury and has failed to find the net during his last two starts. Salah was subbed in the 69th minute against Brighton, a decision he didn't seem to like based on his reaction when he left the pitch, per Luke Gardener of the Daily Express.

With Salah and fellow forwards Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane missing chances, the Reds relied on two headers from Van Dijk. His surprise brace helped maintain Liverpool's lead in one particular statistical category:

The fact Klopp still sees room for improvement when his team is in such a strong position offers a hint about Liverpool's awesome consistency on his watch. His relentless motivation mirrors the high-energy pressing his players perform during games, one reason why Liverpool hope to add a league title to the UEFA Champions League trophy lifted last season.

Klopp is taking nothing for granted, with third-place Leicester City able to close the gap with a positive result at home to Everton on Sunday, saying Liverpool "don't think about the points gap," per Doyle

It's easy not to focus on the chasing pack with such a healthy cushion, but Liverpool will rarely have to look back if a group of players already in stunning form heed their manager's smart call for improvement.