Arguably the best way to see if your side has improved is to compare the corresponding fixtures of this season with last
2007/8
Sunderland (a) W2-0
Middlesboro (h) W3-2
Aston Villa (a) W2-1
Man Utd (h) L0-1
Everton (a) W2-1
Man City (a) D0-0
Wigan (h) D1-1
P7 W4 D2 L1 F10 A6 PTS 14
2008/9
Sunderland (a) W1-0
Middlesboro (h) W2-1
Aston Villa (a) D0-0
Man Utd (h) W2-1
Everton (a) W2-0
Man City (a) W3-2
Wigan (h) W3-2
P7 W6 D1 L0 F13 A6 PTS 19
Just three more goals making five extra points. Shame we couldn't score against Stoke, well more than the wrongly disallowed goal anyway. As key as improving on last season's results where points were dropped is to maintain the good results. So far only in the villa game have we gained less points than the corresponding fixture last season.
On the basis of the last 32 games in all competitions, of which we have won 23, we are winning just over 71% which would be more than the 27 wins out of 38 I have mentioned once or twice that could be enough to win the league
23/32 = 0.71875
27/38 = 0.710526
Still plenty to do, tougher games yet to come and all that. But in those 32 games we have played Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd disproportionate number of times :-
PREM Man Utd 3-0 Liverpool
CL Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
PREM Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
CL Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal
PREM Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool
CL Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool (aet)
PREM Liverpool 2-1 Man Utd
P7 W2 D3 L2 F11 A12. And only a couple of games prior to that run of 32 game Liverpool drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge. Bar the 0-3 at Old Trafford that is a decent set of results, even then it was only 0-1 before the red card.