Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes reckons his side played better football in the first half of the season than ever before.
The Bavarians, currently in training during the Bundesliga's winter break, are nine points clear at the top of the table after 13 wins and three draws from their opening 17 league games.
Bayern are also through to the last 16 of the Champions League and still in the DFB-Pokal as they look to end two years without a trophy.
Heynckes told Bild: "I would say that Bayern has not played such modern, attractive football in their entire history.
"I have now been at Bayern for one and a half years and I think that you can also now see that things with my coaching team and the players are bearing fruit.
"How the team played in the first half of the season, easy on the eye going forward but with plenty of commitment and discipline at the back, that was exceptional football."
The 22-year-old, who was taken off during the Grecians 2-2 draw with Barnet, underwent an operation on the ankle on Thursday, which means the first-team regular's campaign is effectively over.
"It looks like Liam is going to be out for the season," City boss Paul Tisdale said. "It looks like he will be out of training for three months which means four for playing.
"So to all intents and purposes it puts him out for the rest of the season which is a real shame, a real loss for us.
"I am sure he is feeling very frustrated and disappointed about it."
The City youth product opened his account for the season in the 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle in December and was one of the Grecians' top performers in their next match against the bees before sustaining the injury nine minutes after the interval.
"He seemed to be, in that Barnet game, looking as purposeful and as determined as I've seen him for a long time," Tisdale said.
"We've been encouraging him to find some of the form he's showed on many occasions for the club in that midfield role and he was doing that against Barnet.
"He had a couple of good works, so it is a real shame for us."
