Wijnaldum wants to turn up heat

GINI WIJNALDUM wants Liverpool to make a statement of intent at Sunderland and grasp their chance to put Chelsea under pressure. Liverpool have had to get used to being the team that has to come up with answers, as five times in the last six rounds of Premier League fixtures they have kicked off after Chelsea have already won. Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool may be starting to irritate Chelsea by their refusal to go away and it is inevitable those at Stamford Bridge will be wondering how a 13-match winning sequence has not taken them more than six points clear. The deficit will be cut to three should Liverpool triumph today and Wijnaldum has explained why this is a chance they cannot miss, particularly with Chelsea heading to Spurs on Wednesday. ‘You always have to put pressure on an opponent,’ said Wijnaldum, whose towering header put the gloss on his finest performance since his £25million move from Newcastle last summer. ‘We have to win the game. Will it put pressure on them? Maybe. Maybe not.’ What is clear about Liverpool is that Klopp has imbued them with belief. Before the clash with City, Klopp told the squad to have confidence they had as much ability as individuals and a collective as Pep Guardiola’s side and the upshot was a decisive win. Their tally of 43 points from 19 games is the best they have managed at this particular point of a Premier League campaign, eclipsing the 2008-09 team managed by Rafa Benitez (42). That squad finished second to Manchester United with 86 points. Title talk on Merseyside is growing but Klopp, who takes charge of his 50th league game today, is not getting caught up in it. ‘We came from eighth position last year, so we don’t think about being champion or whatever this year, but we are much better than last year and the position is completely different,’ said Klopp. ‘I’m not annoyed (about Chelsea being top). Not for one second.’