'We have to play absolutely our best' - the boss on facing Man City
Jürgen Klopp insists Sunday's clash with Manchester City will not be a decisive factor in the final Premier League standings but knows Liverpool must 'play absolutely our best' to gain something from the game.
The champions from each of the past two seasons tussle for the first time in 2020-21 this weekend, with the Reds set to travel to Etihad Stadium as the division’s early pace-setters.
Klopp rejected any notion the match will have long-term significance on who lifts the title and also dismissed the theory that the race is solely between these two teams.
For now, indeed, his focus is wholly on the challenge of taking on Pep Guardiola’s side and, after a 5-0 Champions League win in midweek, ensuring Liverpool produce their best performance again.
“It’s a very, very difficult game – hopefully for both teams – because both teams will perform on a high level. That’s it,” said Klopp at his pre-match press conference.
“That early in the season and so many things are different this year. Nothing is to compare with last year. Nothing is to compare with the year before.
“So, everything is different and we just have to make sure we get through very intense periods, line up the fittest players and play the best football we can. In this case it is against Man City, which is obviously one of the most difficult games to play in the world.
“That’s it, pretty much. I enjoy these kind of games, I enjoy the preparation for the games but it doesn’t make it easier – it’s just a really tough task.”
Liverpool and City occupied the top two positions in the Premier League for the past two seasons, with Klopp’s men improving from second to first last term.
But asked if they are ‘the main title challengers’ for the current campaign, he replied: “I never saw it like this. I don’t know where that is coming from.
“For me, each season – completely surprisingly – starts at nil. And we all have the same chance and it’s about how you go through the difficult parts of the season, how can you find together as a team, as a group, how lucky are you with injuries and all these kind of things.
“For me, this two-horse race thing was never a phrase I not only didn’t use, I didn’t even think because I’m interested only in one horse and that’s us.
“All the rest can obviously do whatever they want and whatever they are able to do. We face them then twice in the Premier League a year.
“Chelsea and Tottenham really good; Arsenal really good; Leicester really good; Everton, unfortunately, really good. There are a lot of teams. Maybe I forgot somebody… and Man United, people write off always pretty early and then in the end they will be there as well.
“It’s always the same. We all fight for the Champions League spots and when you are close enough to that then you can be champion at the end of the season. It was always the same and will be always the same.
“It’s so early in the season, I don’t know who will be the top horse at the end of this season.”
Klopp and Guardiola claimed a victory apiece in last season’s Premier League showdowns, with Liverpool winning 3-1 at Anfield and losing 4-0 in the reverse fixture just after the title was clinched.
The Reds boss was also quizzed on the ‘right approach’ to facing City this weekend.
“It’s of course nothing even close to a title decider. I don’t know what it is, it’s a football game,” he added.
“I cannot look at matchday eight already, I don’t want to know because nobody can know what will be at matchday 38. There are so many games to come, whatever happens on Sunday will not decide about the league or whatever. Too many things can happen, especially in this year.
“We all know you need to be lucky with injuries, you need to find a way every three days to beat the next opponent, which is itself already incredibly important but with the last game in your legs, it’s even more difficult.
“I don’t speak now about this specific game because City and us, we both have four days between the games – which feels like having a summer break and a pre-season before a game. That’s good, so no excuses, apart from City are really good.
“And we have to play absolutely our best to have a chance, but actually that was always enough for us to know.”
