‘We cannot become obsessed with City’
all these games. Seven years ago was a completely different time – football has changed. The Premier League is a different challenge for us but that’s not important.
“I don’t want to compare it but if you could beat Bayern it was good because usually they had won all their other games.
“That will not happen here. Even City couldn’t do that last year. They got 100 points but that was a rare thing to do. I’m not interested too much in the difficulties of our challenge – I’m really working on the solutions and to ensure we are ready.”
Klopp is also wary about becoming obsessed with City as he believes there will be other challengers for the crown of Premier League champions.
He said: “My experience taught me that you only play twice against Bayern in a season. We were never chasing Bayern. When we weren’t playing against them, it just wasn’t interesting for us.
“Here, we have more teams like this. If City aren’t the No1 then there will be FOCAL POINT: Firmino is key to the attack
LIVERPOOL BRIGHTON
others going for it. I really think Tottenham will have a brilliant season. They are together still and have a fantastic manager.
“A few other teams have a big chance too. Chelsea look really positive, Arsenal not a good start but that will change.
“Don’t look at the others – it doesn’t help you. You only have a problem with them twice over the course of the year. Just try to beat them in those two games and then beat the others.” Liverpool’s chances of closing the 25-point gap that separated them and City last season will be boosted if their tremendous attacking trio keep firing. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah already have four goals between them, and while Roberto Firmino has yet to net he is still the focal point of the attack and important in making the other two tick. “He is involved in all of our offensive situations,” said Klopp. “If anybody asked me how often he’d scored in the first two games it feels to me like four times, but it was obviously not so far. “His desire to score is as big as the other two. He doesn’t think too much about it. If he’s in a better position to shoot, then he will shoot and if someone else is in a better position, he will pass. “If people talk about him because he’s a No9, it’s not important for him and it’s not important for me. He will score goals, 100 per cent.”