Despite the fact that the two dominant powers in the Premier League are no longer involved in what has historically been a key matchup, Jürgen Klopp thinks Liverpool’s trip to Manchester City on Saturday is significant for both teams.
In contrast to second-placed City, who are vying for their fifth championship in six years, sixth-placed Liverpool is only looking to move up the standings following a difficult and trophy-less year.
Yet, Liverpool manager Klopp is certain that a match that is often crucial to the outcome of the championship for both teams still has significant weight for both his side and City.
“Very important game, it’s the one thing that is the same as it has always been because clearly for us, for City, “On Friday, Klopp told reporters.
Liverpool’s journey to the Etihad marks the start of a challenging week for Klopp’s team, which also includes trips to Chelsea on Tuesday and Arsenal’s visit to Anfield the following Sunday.
Tottenham, who are in fourth place, are seven points behind Liverpool, although the Reds have two games in hand over the north Londoners.
We don’t have an ideal position to get there and battle for it, but it’s feasible, and the top four is the one thing we truly can aim for “Klopp said.
We need to win a lot of games, but the more victories we have, the more pressure we can put on those behind us in the standings.
There has been a lot of discussion, but ultimately, it comes down to how well we execute and how we adopt a chasing mindset.
Liverpool’s 1-0 win against City in October gave the impression that Klopp’s team could perform at the same level as when they came so close to an unheard-of quadruple last season.
Another deceptive outcome occurred earlier this month when Manchester United was humiliated 7-0 at Anfield.
Liverpool has lost both of its games subsequently, falling to Real Madrid by the same score and shocking Bournemouth by the same margin to leave the Champions League.
“We are not stupid; we are aware that the previous game we played in Madrid and the one before that against Bournemouth were both poor performances. The last game was top-notch, “On his side’s inconsistency, Klopp said.
You want to play these games; we play City, Chelsea, and Arsenal every season, but in one week is very exceptional. We have to go there and really go for it; there’s no other opportunity for us.”
Darwin Nunez is healthy after recuperating from a cut on his foot, while Luis Diaz is not eligible to face City despite having returned to training after almost six months away.