Reds boss wants a luck in on title race
KLOPP NEEDS GOOD FORTUNE
JURGEN Klopp is hopeful fortune is on Liverpool’s side for the Premier League run-in after their 3-1 victory at Fulham moved them joint top of the table with Arsenal.
The Reds scored through Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota as they bounced back from Thursday’s Europa League exit to Atalanta and their Anfield defeat to Crystal Palace.
Klopp admitted the title race excites him, citing rivals Man City and Arsenal, much like Liverpool, will need luck during an intense period.
Liverpool have five games left and Klopp said: “Maybe if we can keep it as exciting then in the end fortune is maybe on our side. We don’t know. We have to try to win as many games as somehow possible, to win as many points as somehow possible.
“It is an intense season for all of us; everybody needs luck in moments, each of the three teams need that. So, it will be an interesting race and so I am happy that we are in and that part I enjoy.”
Cody Gakpo slipped Jota through in the 72nd minute before the Portugal attacker finished with a drilled firsttime strike into the bottom right-hand corner.
Klopp lauded the pair’s availability ahead of their final fixtures.
“It is super-cool to have Diogo back,” Klopp added.
“He can play all three positions up front. It is as important that Cody is back. He wasn’t injured, but he was a little bit struggling.
“He is now fully back. He is physically there, is extremely strong, keeps the ball and stuff like this, so that’s really helpful as well.”
Across Stanley Park, Everton winger Dwight McNeil admits the players had a point to prove after the criticism they received following their humiliation at Chelsea.
Even manager Sean Dyche went public with some home truths he told the squad after the embarrassing 6-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge which left people questioning their professionalism.
They responded with a second successive home victory after goals from Idrissa Gueye and McNeil beat fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest 2-0 and moved them five points clear of the relegation zone.
“We knew our performance on Monday was nowhere near good enough. We were awful all game and we knew we had to make it right by getting three points,” said the former Burnley winger.
Position
“Everyone was gutted about what happened on Monday. We assessed it and then we parked it straight away and to bounce back was the main thing for the group and for the team’s morale.
“We are an experienced group, and a lot of the lads have been in this position before where we are, so we have got that experience behind us, which is always helpful.
“Luckily, we had another game in the same week, and it comes around fast. We got three points but now we have got to build on that.”
After going 13 league matches without a win over four months Everton have now picked up two victories within the space of 16 days.
That has helped ease their relegation worries but safety has still not been secured and with a Merseyside derby at home to Liverpool on Wednesday followed by the visit of Brentford on Saturday they cannot afford to ease up.
“The lads did well to grind out a difficult game and now we have got to build on that going into a big week ahead,” added McNeil.
“The five-point cushion is massive but we know there is still a lot that needs to be done. It is a job not done yet.
“We know we need to win more games and we still need to perform. We need to get points on the board because that is what matters at this point in the season.
“Every game from now until the last day is massive.”