Klopp: City win shows League is still strong

Jurgen Klopp has scoffed at the idea that his Liverpool side’s huge Premier League lead is a reflection of a drop in quality in English football.

Although Liverpool have won all bar one league game this season, the manager pointed to Manchester City’s Champions League victory over Real Madrid as proof of what his players have had to overcome.

He also indicated the number of narrow wins his side had enjoyed against teams fighting at the bottom.

His team head to relegationthreatened Watford today seeking to extend their lead to 25 points.

“It says nothing about the quality of the Premier League, especially when you look at City versus Real Madrid,” Klopp said. “You saw Madrid – one of the best teams in the world – and City were clearly better. So that shows as well how strong the league is.

“If people think City are not as good as they were – they are. It is clear they have been missing some players. The other teams are really strong, too.

“Yes, Bayern beat Tottenham and Chelsea [in the Champions League], but they are really strong over a season. Yes, they [Spurs and Chelsea] have had some problems, that’s all true. But in the moment that you play them, you don’t feel that they have these problems.

“Whether it is Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, City or United, they are proper games. We had to win them, but it was always difficult.”

Liverpool have been relentless in their title pursuit and Klopp does not anticipate any let-up as they look to secure the trophy in record

time. Only four more wins are needed to guarantee a 19th championship, albeit after a 30-year wait.

“I meet people who want to talk about it and who say, ‘Unbelievable, you’re going to do it,’ but it doesn’t bother me,” Klopp said. “I can imagine people think like this but there is only one team who can make it happen or not, and that is us. That is what we try to do and we try to do it by being 100 per cent focused on a specific game, and that is now Watford. I have no problem with people talking about it [the title], but I don’t think about it.”