Xherdan Shaqiri: We are focused only on ourselves
The form of other teams in the upper reaches of the Premier League table is of no concern to Xherdan Shaqiri.
Liverpool go into this weekend’s round of fixtures boasting a record of eight wins and three draws from 11 top-flight outings so far this season.
That, though, is only enough to be third at present, with Chelsea above the Reds on goal difference and Manchester City two points clear in top spot. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, meanwhile, sit three and four points respectively behind Jürgen Klopp’s side.
However, ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Fulham at Anfield, Shaqiri insisted that Klopp’s players are focused entirely on their own business.
“I think we have to ignore that [other teams’ results]. We have to look at ourselves and make performances week to week, try to stay on our highest level and to try to win games so at the end of the season we can say we are proud of the season we played because we gave everything,” the Switzerland international told Liverpoolfc.com.
“We will see what happens, but the process the club had for a few years is going very well I think and that’s also the most important thing.
“Everybody sees that and of course in the near future for everybody it’s important to try to challenge for titles, that’s clear, but at the moment we just have to look to ourselves and to try to stay on the highest level.
“We will see what happens, but if we keep going like this it’s going to be an interesting year for everybody I think.
“For us, it’s amazing how we are doing in the league at the moment. We are in very good shape and everybody is positive in this club so we are looking forward to the next games, to many games to come.
“We just have to keep going like this on the highest level and to work every day hard to compete against the good teams.”
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A veteran of five domestic title wins from his spells with FC Basel and Bayern Munich, Shaqiri believes the secret to such success lies in concentrating completely on whichever fixture is next on the calendar.
And, while Liverpool’s Premier League form may have been impressive thus far in 2018-19, the No.23 is not satisfied yet.
“I think you take it game to game, not to look and think ‘in four weeks we play against this team’: no, Fulham is on Sunday and we have to win that game, close that game, then go onto the next one,” Shaqiri explained.
“That’s the most important thing to be successful, to stay on the highest level, to work hard every day. Don’t say ‘we have 27 points so now we can relax’.
“No, it’s just the beginning and we have to keep going like this and working hard to make ourselves better and achieve something and be with the best in the world. We are in a good way and we just have to keep working hard.”
Bottom-placed Fulham head to Anfield on the back of an eight-game winless run in the Premier League, but Shaqiri will not be underestimating Slavisa Jokanovic’s team.
“For me, they are the most important games, against these teams who try to defend for 90 minutes and play on the counter-attack and settle back,” he continued.
“It’s always difficult to play against them, they have nothing to lose when they come to Anfield. They can only win so it’s going to be a difficult game and we have to make a good performance because every game in the Premier League is very tough.
“You need to turn up and to make a good performance to win the game.”
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