Jürgen Klopp has predicted this season's title race will be the most exciting in years and warned Liverpool cannot become preoccupied with the imperious form of Manchester City.
Liverpool head to Arsenal today having equalled their best start to a Premier League campaign but, despite remaining unbeaten and taking 26 points from a possible 30, are second in the table on goal difference following the champions' victory at Tottenham. Klopp believes his squad has the depth and ability to sustain their outstanding run for the duration of the season, delivering a genuinely competitive race for the championship. But City's results and form, he insists, cannot distract Liverpool from their pursuit of a first league title since 1990.
The Liverpool manager said: “We play City twice. The maximum we can lose against them is three points in each of these games, even though I understand why it sometimes feels like six. If we would win all the other games then it’s pretty likely we would finish ahead of City but it doesn’t make sense to think like that because it puts you in a situation where you feel you are not in charge.
"You react on what they do. If they play on Friday and we play on Sunday then for two days you think about the pressure being more on us. But then you miss Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal or United.
No chance
“It is like it is, and hopefully it stays like this until the end of the season. It is probably the most exciting season for years. Last year a few teams played really good seasons but there was no chance to catch City because, by October-November, the gap was already that big. I remember when we played City last season, when we lost there 5-0, that was the day that City really clicked. It looked good for them before that but in that game they got all the confidence and we got the opposite and it led to a 25-point gap or whatever. We are really focused on us and that’s the only way I know it will work.”
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Arsenal – scoring 17 goals in the last five alone – and victory at the Emirates Stadium would record the club’s best start to a Premier League season after 11 games. Asked whether Liverpool can sustain that form throughout the campaign, Klopp replied: “Yes. But it doesn’t mean it will be like that.
Satisfaction
“We are in a good place but we go to Arsenal and if everything depends on winning at Arsenal or not, if that means we are in a good place or not, then something is wrong. I cannot judge week in, week out. That’s why I say so far, so good. We don’t feel satisfaction. We don’t feel: ‘Wow! We are really good.’ We have that feeling for maybe two minutes after the game, from the dugout to the dressingroom, and then it’s gone.
“‘We won, cool, let’s go again,’ that’s exactly how it is. It is just exciting. I am a football fan as well and for a football fan it’s great but, on the other side of the table, there are teams who have very few points and they all have a chance to stay in the league.”
Klopp has admitted Liverpool are unlikely to buy in the January transfer market and should be more concerned with developing the talent at his disposal. “It doesn’t look like we will be too busy to be honest but it all depends on injuries and things like that,” he added. “I don’t think there is any reason to do something really big like bring in another striker. We have all what we need. Our job now is to use the quality we have.”
– Guardian
