Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits they worked hard in preseason to lift standards.
The Reds are still unbeaten in all competitions and currently in the midst of a 25-match unbeaten run.
"If you compare things then it's difficult to overcome them. 'Was that good?' 'Was that good?' and stuff like this," Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to West Ham United. "Time flies and many things happen. Yes, player in and player out. That's clear.
"But as a team, you don't have to compare. You have to develop. That means that maybe something is different and that means in the first moment, not as good as it used to be.
"We worked a lot again. Last year it was all good and we started well but then the injury crisis hit us so we had to sort problems we didn't know we would have. We cannot be prepared for that, or I think we can't. We sorted it somehow, got above Chelsea, absolutely insane, absolutely great.
"Then we had a better, proper pre-season. We worked a lot on our offensive stuff. So how can we cause problems? How can we cause problems against other teams?
"On top of that, and it's part of offensive play, we need the sensation of counter-press because the more you have the ball, the more often you can lose it. If you lose it, you have to win it back. The defending part will never stop."
He continued: "Are we better than two years ago or not? Neither nor. We are like we are in this situation. If we make a mistake, we don't make it because we made it two years ago or one year ago, we made it because in that moment we made the wrong decision.
"That is the daily thing we are working on. It means as long as these boys are not 40, we will improve them. The way we work together, the things we do, how they inspire themselves and each other.
"That's a really special group and will be considered in the future, looking back, as a really special group.
"I know it already but I don't praise them or celebrate with them. I'm here to kick their butts from time to time as well and that's what we do to make the next step."
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