Lovren: Aim next season is to take City’s title
Dejan Lovren has warned Manchester City of Liverpool’s intent to push for the Premier League title next season after killing Pep Guardiola’s Champions League dreams.
There have been few more satisfying weeks in Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Anfield: a third consecutive win against a side of City’s class securing a semi-final place.
Owner Fenway Sports Group is reflecting on the most significant victory of its eight-year tenure, the evolution under Klopp leading the club back to elite status.
Liverpool are striving for a sixth Champions League title this season, but Premier League success is the ultimate ambition.
Lovren acknowledged the frustration at how far behind Liverpool trail City domestically given how little separates them in head-tohead encounters.
“The regret is the first six or seven games of the season in the Premier League,” said Lovren. “We had many draws and they took us out of the first place. I would say we didn’t have any luck with injuries again and City didn’t have injuries all season. They deserve to be champions but we are in good shape now.
“I’m confident that next season we can push everyone, even ourselves to do better.”
Recruitment was a subject of scrutiny prior to Klopp’s arrival but the club should now be lauded for their long-term approach, with Liverpool heading into the next transfer window with a transfer kitty still buoyed by profit from the January sale of Philippe Coutinho.
Virgil van Dijk’s arrival for £75million has been pivotal and Lovren, after regular criticism since moving to Liverpool from Southampton three years earlier, has excelled alongside his new team-mate. Given the calibre of the opposition, Tuesday was Lovren’s most assured game for the club.
“That is always great to hear, but it was about teamwork,” he said. “Everyone did their job in both games. People talked from the beginning about Manchester City being favourites and they were, but I think after this there should be more respect for Liverpool.”
Lovren believes Liverpool should not be fazed by whoever they are paired with in tomorrow’s semi-final draw. “I don’t want Real Madrid. They have a lot of experience, a lot of records and over the past three seasons it is always them. But whoever we get will find it difficult to come to Anfield and score some goals.”