Everything is going for Liverpool this season, or so rival fans would have you believe. And now a timely Premier League reminder has potentially helped the Reds to another three points.

Never mind the fact that Arne Slot's side dropped two points against Everton last week in a contentious performance from Michael Oliver. Never mind the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, when Lucas Bergvall scored the winner after somehow avoiding a second yellow card — there's clearly some sort of conspiracy in favor of Liverpool.

That's right, the same Liverpool that Martin Odegaard was allowed to play basketball against last season, in the campaign where VAR also contrived to chalk off a perfectly valid Luis Diaz goal. If some shadowy powers want the Reds to win the Premier League, they must have only very recently changed their tune.

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah forces contract U-turn after Liverpool star puts Alan Shearer theory to bed

READ MORE: Liverpool told it has 'mini Virgil van Dijk' as Arne Slot confirms he's 'back to his old level'

But what about the injury situation, where Liverpool has apparently been hugely lucky? Well, there's always bound to be an element of fortune, but Richard Hughes hired Slot and his backroom staff partially on the basis of their excellent record of keeping players fit.

Having said that, Liverpool is only mid-table for avoiding injuries, having had to navigate issues of its own. It has lost Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson and other key performers for not-insignificant chunks of time.

For everything the naysayers might allege, the simple truth is that Slot is doing an incredible job with a prodigously talented team of players. Liverpool is not the beneficiary of some grand scheme, it has just been the best team in the division over the course of the first 25 games (not to mention the league phase of the Champions League).

Even so, the conspiracy theorists will have a field day with the latest piece of information to emerge. Apparently, a January meeting of Premier League referees helped Ibrahima Konate avoid a second yellow card against Wolves.

Writing in The Times, former Premier League official Peter Walton revealed that referees were given new guidance at the start of the campaign. He says the advice was reiterated last month:

"At the start of this season, Premier League referees were encouraged to raise the threshold for physical contact that should be considered a foul," Walton wrote. "It was only a subtle change, but it was intended to reflect the fact that English football is known all over the world for allowing more intense physical contests.

"That directive was given to referees last summer, but it was reinforced at the start of January, and I have noticed in recent weeks a shift in the way matches are refereed. More contact is being allowed, and it is really helping the spectacle.

"In theory, the threshold for showing yellow cards should not have changed. But because stronger challenges are being allowed in general, there has been a knock-on effect on the number of cards."

Lucky Liverpool, then, getting away with second bookable offenses right after the Premier League moved the bar. Where was this, Arsenal might complain, for any one of its numerous red cards this season?

Except that Konate's second foul would have been a hugely soft yellow card in just about any season since the division's inception. His first one was dubious too, for that matter.

Moreover, the same rule that arguably "benefitted" Liverpool against Wolves presumably allowed Beto to get away with his shove on Konate in the derby. If given the choice, Slot would probably opt against this apparent directive for a more physical game, given the rough treatment received by many of his players.

Nevertheless, maybe Liverpool will feel the Premier League's winter statement to referees worked in its favor on this one occasion. It will take such breaks wherever it can get them — but ultimately, this title will be won on quality, not luck.