Brendan Rodgers accepts Liverpool will be judged on the impressive figures they've racked up so far this season – but insists no-one within the camp will lose any focus paying attention to statistics.

After 27 games, the Reds boast their best-ever points tally at this stage of a Barclays Premier League season (56), while with 70 goals to their name, they're the highest scorers in the division.

Rodgers concedes such numbers are fair barometers of the strides forward his side have taken in 2013-14, though he admits their hunger to develop and improve even further remains as strong as ever.

"You're judged on your numbers," the boss told Liverpoolfc.com in an exclusive interview at Melwood. "Last year, we improved as the season went on - but the improvement been consistent now for probably the last 14-15 months.

"It's something that's important for us - we're in a competition and want to finish as high as we possibly can. It's a great marker of where we're at, we're four points off the lead, but at the same time we can't be complacent.

"We have to keep working and working well. We have another game to go in our small block of targets and we aim to get a good result."

Many have described Liverpool as the league's 'great entertainers' this season.

Indeed, as well as a total of 70 strikes so far this term, they also boast the record of being the Premier League's top scorers on the road, having notched 28 to date.

Rodgers is delighted with the Reds' form in front of goal, admitting it was something he was keen to address when he first arrived at the club in June 2012.

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"When I came in, it was one of the key focuses - we wanted to score more goals and improve our attacking game," he said. "To be the leading team in terms of goals is a great credit to the work of the players and their attitude in the game.

"Of course, we've got areas we want to improve and the overall balance of the team, but that will come. Most importantly, we're winning games at this point in time and that's what it's about."

Liverpool will head into this weekend's clash with Southampton in fourth place in the Premier League table - just four points off first-place Chelsea.

Their form has raised excitement levels amongst the fans, but Rodgers is adamant that within the walls of Melwood, the players and staff remain grounded.

The manager said: "It's great for the supporters to dream, and it's brilliant being around the city and listening to people talk. I sense a real excitement and anticipation, and they deserve that.

"That's what the supporters of Liverpool need to have at this stage of a season - their team challenging and fighting.

"For us, we're very calm, we're focused on what it is we need to achieve and we just go into every day looking to maximise the most we can out of our training. Hopefully then we can take that confidence into our games."

Liverpool will head to St Mary's on Saturday looking to improve a record at the home of the Saints that has witnessed them win just once there in seven visits.

Last season, the Reds succumbed to a 3-1 defeat on the south coast - but no-one will be paying any attention to history when they take to the field this weekend, according to Rodgers.

"We focus very much on ourselves and our own performance," he stated. "We have to respect them, they're a good side and particularly at home, where it is a difficult place to go.

"We're full of confidence, we'll be prepared, but we understand it'll be a difficult game.

"We went to White Hart Lane earlier on this season not having a great record [there] and produced a brilliant team performance.

"Obviously people will look at history and try and compare and judge, but I think we're a team playing with confidence and we feel we can go to any ground and get a positive result. It won't really have any bearing on the game."

Meanwhile, Rodgers' options are set to be bolstered by the returns of Lucas Leiva and Mamadou Sakho over the coming weeks.

The Northern Irishman believes Sakho could potentially return to action, following a tendon tear, against Manchester United on March 16, while Lucas is making good progress in his rehabilitation following a knee complaint.

Rodgers said: "Mamadou has been excellent. He's been back in a week or so now and looks very strong and aggressive.

"I still think he's got a wee bit of time because he was out for nearly 10 weeks and that's a long time, so it may be too soon for him this weekend - but certainly by the next game against Manchester United, he should be fit and raring to go.

"Lucas has come back really early and it's shown how hard he's worked. He joined in part of the training [on Thursday], so I would suspect him to get his fitness up over the next few weeks and be challenging for a place very soon.

"Jose Enrique will take a little bit longer in his rehabilitation, but we just need to gauge that on a daily basis."