CLEAN SLATE
NEW ERA AT UNITED AS SOLSKJAER CHECKS IN Klopp: City are still the team for us all to catch
WOLVES v LIVERPOOL JURGEN KLOPP claims Manchester City remain the team to beat rather than his Liverpool table-toppers.
The Kop boss says Pep Guardiola’s champions are still the benchmark for everyone else in the Premier League because they are performing so well.
The German admires how they have maintained their standards from last season when they won the title in record-breaking fashion.
Klopp said: “Being completely neutral about it I look at it and say, ‘Yes, the team to beat are obviously City’.
“I don’t think that way about us to be honest with you because I see us every day, every week, and I know we have to work on that.
“They are really good. I have to respect that.
“I can’t say City are lucky here and lucky there, they aren’t. Every match day they are spot on.
“They were last year when they got 100 points and they stay in that mode. There’s no sign of weakness.
“That’s why I say it. They are the current champions and they still play like champions.
“The desire I see at City after being such clear champions, that’s special. We are all the challengers.”
Klopp may be trying to ease the pressure on Liverpool ahead of tonight’s trip to Molineux because their unbeaten start has raised hopes of a first title since 1990 but he says the chasing pack cannot be ruled out.
He added: “But not only City. Tottenham have so many injury problems, the shortest break after the World Cup – I don’t know how many Belgian and English players they had – and won all their games in a difficult situation.
“Now they are six points behind us. Wow! That’s really massive. Arsenal’s start, Chelsea, that’s all really good.
“So how can we think about anything else other than just winning games and getting as many points as we can?”