BATTLES AGAINST PEP NEW KOP OBSESSION
JURGEN KLOPP laughed riotously when it was mentioned that Pep Guardiola seems obsessed with Liverpool.
The mirth revealed his mood when it comes to facing Manchester City, in part because he relishes encounters with a coach he regards as the best in world football.
In his way, Klopp is equally obsessed with his rival manager. That is because he admires Guardiola ( above, with Mo Salah) and his commitment to playing what he thinks is the right brand of football.
“He’s obsessed?! I didn’t watch the documentary so I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Klopp referring to the ‘ All Or Nothing’ broadcast two years ago.
“City do what they always do and it is that good that they never have to change it.
“City have a good plan, a clear plan, and in each position a player who has the physicality and the technique to make a difference.
“They play a specific way, they are pretty dominant, but if they have to counter- attack they are pretty strong. They have speed and creativity and that is not so cool when the other team has that. It makes things pretty tricky.
“It makes it a challenge but also interesting because you don’t play a lot of games against a team of such high quality.” Klopp left Roberto Firmino out of the side which won at Atalanta in midweek, but against City may leave out Diogo Jota, who scored a hat- trick in Italy.
Firmino ( below) has struggled in front of goal over the past year but Klopp is the Brazilian’s biggest admirer. ” I don’t have to say one word about Bobby Firmino and how important he is for us,” added the German.
“He was the differencemaker in so many games, so I would feel really embarrassed if I had to mention once again the qualities of Bobby Firmino.”
PEP GUARDIOLA thinks Liverpool remain the team to beat this season – despite so many crazy results at the start of the campaign.
Guardiola’s Manchester City host the champions tomorrow, the two rivals having dominated the title race for the past three seasons.
The coronavirus pandemic has yielded some bizarre results this term, including City’s 5- 2 defeat at home to Leicester and Liverpool’s 7- 2 mauling at Aston Villa.
And although Guardiola admitted this season could see more teams involved in the title race, because of the impact of t he pandemic, he i s convinced that Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are still in with the best chance.
“T h e y a r e t h e b i g g e s t favourite, but I think with what’s happened with the pandemic, the situation is a bit different,” said City boss Guardiola ( with Klopp, left).
“I see other teams who are strong. Leicester maintained the level from last season, a p a r t f r o m t h e l a s t
month- and- a- half of i t when they dropped points, but now have incredibly solid results.
“Arsenal made a big step for ward to be contenders. At Tottenham, Jose Mourinho has the team that he wants. “Chelsea are so stable now, not conceding goals, scoring a lot and they have a huge squad for rotating top players.
“Manchester United, in this moment, are not doing well in terms of results, but we saw the quality they had last season.
“We suffered a lot in results against them and up front they are incredibly fast and clinical.
“They are top class. So I think this season, there will be a lot of t eams being there.
“The l ast f ive to 10 games will be important, to arrive there to fight for the title.”
Guardiola has told his players they must prepare for when they are under the cosh against Liverpool tomorrow and has urged his men to be clinical and take their chances.
“When you play against teams like L i v e r p o o l , y o u a l w a y s h a v e moments where you have to suffer,” added Guardiola . “They are an exceptional team. We know it, we have to do it and try to play to our strengths as much as possible. We know each other quite well , as we have played many times.
“There will be ups and downs, we have to be stable i n the bad moments and in the good moments t ake our good chances and be clinical.”
City won the titl e with 100 points and 98 under Guardiola, while Liverpool racked up 99 in claiming their first l eague crown for 30 years last season.
But Guardiola said t h e t o t a l w i l l b e nowhere near as high this season. “What is
LAST TIME OUT Raheem Sterling scores in City’s 4- 0 win over Liverpool back in July important i s winning the title,” said Guardiola. “It doesn’t matter how many points you get – sometimes more, sometimes less.
“The first time we won 100 points we were far ahead of the s e c o n d t e a m , s o maybe we didn’t need t he points, but we did it. Liverpool won l ast year with a big advantage.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen this season. It doesn’t look like a team will make a lot of points.
“The t eams that I mentioned are all able to make a big run of wins, so everything can happen.”
CRAZY SCORES Liverpool were beaten 7- 2 at Villa, while City lost 5- 2 at home to Leicester ( below)