Liverpool’s Klopp cares only for titles
London, UK - Roberto Firmino's 37th-minute strike ensured Liverpool made a record-breaking start for one of Europe's top five leagues after beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in their English Premier League (EPL) game on Saturday, but ending a 30-year wait to win the title is the only history Jurgen Klopp is interested in.
Klopp's men have earned 61 points from a possible 63 in 21 games to streak 16 points clear at the top and with a game in hand to spare over second-placed Leicester. There is now a 31-point gap between the sides that contested last season's Champions League final as Spurs remain in eighth, nine points adrift of even the top four.
However, the European champions were made to sweat by the side they beat in Madrid last June as Son Heung-min and Giovani Lo Celso missed the target with the goal gaping in the final 15 minutes.
"The problem is you don't get anything for best starts apart from numbers," said Klopp.
"If people say in 50 years... it was the best start, cool, but the only thing we are interested in is what we can get in the summer.
"That is not done yet because this league is so strong, because we face so many strong opponents. The moment when we have enough points that nobody can catch us anymore, then we start talking about it. Until then I couldn't be less interested."
Lo Celso's miss left Jose Mourinho on his knees in anguish and the honeymoon period for the Tottenham manager is already over after just two wins in their last eight games in all competitions.
The Portuguese's game plan to cede possession to Liverpool before the break backfired, but he still believed his side deserved at least a point for their onslaught in the final quarter. "Liverpool have worked with this coach for five years. The players are totally adapted physically to the football he wants to play," said Mourinho.
Elsewhere, Chelsea and Manchester United secured comfortable wins in the race for the top four but ten-man Arsenal fell further off the pace after a limp draw at Crystal Palace.
Earlier, Southampton claimed their fifth win in their past six games in all competitions as they came from behind at the King Power Stadium to beat Leicester
2-1.
Chelsea put their struggles at Stamford Bridge behind them with a 3-0 win over Burnley, who slid ever closer to the bottom three. United ended a three-game winless run in style with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial once again leading the way for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men in a 4-0 demolition of bottom-of-the-table Norwich. Rashford marked his 200th appearance for the club with two goals and Martial and substitute Mason Greenwood were also on target.
Arsenal are now 11 points off the Champions League places as their revival under Mikel Arteta was halted by a red card for captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.
Aubameyang gave the Gunners a deserved first-half lead but the Eagles levelled thanks to Jordan Ayew's deflected effort before a VAR review turned a yellow card for Aubameyang into a red for a reckless challenge on Max Meyer. Wolves were held 1-1 at home by Newcastle while Everton beat Brighton 1-0. Other result: Sunday: Bournemouth 0 Watford 3.
ITALIAN LEAGUE Ibrahimovic scores in Milan victory
Milan, Italy - Veteran Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored on his first AC Milan start since his return to the club in a 2-0 win over Cagliari on Saturday but city rivals Inter's position on top of Italian League is at risk after a 1-1 draw against Atalanta.
In Sardinia, Ibrahimovic played the entire match scoring after 64 minutes for his first Milan goal since leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain eight years ago.
Other results: Sunday: Udinese 3 Sassuolo 0, Fiorentina 1 SPAL 0, Sampdoria 5 Brescia 1, Torino 1 Bologna 0.
French League: Saturday: Bordeaux 1 Lyon 2, Amiens 1 Montpellier 2, Angers 1 Nice 1, Metz 1 Strasbourg 0, Nimes 2 Reims 0, Toulouse 2 Brest 5.