Our guard will be up this time
Klopp: 4-0 Etihad thrashing after title win proves you can’t lose focus facing City
Jurgen Klopp admits he didn’t have a clue what to tell his players when they faced Manchester City just days after being crowned champions.
But his team talk will be much easier today – because the 4- 0 thrashing they copped after receiving a guard of honour shows you need to stay focused for 90 minutes against Pep Guardiola’s side.
The champions can return to the top of the table with a win at the Etihad and Klopp said: “We learned that if you are not 100 per cent focused on the game against City, you will lose.
“It was the first time we had won the Premier League so I had no idea how to prepare the next game.
“I didn’t want to overdo it: ‘Boys, forget it, what happened three days ago…now it is City and now we can show the whole world blah, blah, blah.’
“I didn’t do that and I’m not sure if it was right or wrong. I know my boys wanted to win the game – but we were not as focused as we are usually in these games. That explains a little bit.
“Still we played some good football and didn’t score and they scored four times. That’s how it was. But it was not the most happy defeat in my life.”
With Virgil Van Dijk missing Klopp’s defence will face a huge test against City after already conceding 15 league goals in just seven games – their worst record since 1964.
They were rocked by a 7-2 loss to Aston Villa but the Anfield boss isn’t panicking.
Klopp admitted: “It helps massively when all your best players are on the pitch because there are moments when the individual has to defend what the unit couldn’t defend before. That’s how it is.
“But it was not that after Aston Villa we said ‘Come on, we start again completely about how to defend.’
“We knew what we didn’t do right that night and maybe in one or two other games as well and we tried to sort that without overdoing it.”
It has been a two-horse race between these sides for the title in the last two seasons and Guardiola admits Liverpool are one of the toughest teams he has ever faced as a manager.
In his spells as boss of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, there were some enduring rivalries. Now Klopp’s men are the team his side are measured up against.
Guardiola ( below) said: “I never underestimate all the other opponents in the other leagues. When I was in Munich it was Dortmund, with Thomas Tuchel or Jurgen in the f irst seasons with incredible teams.
“When I was in Barcelona the rivalry with Real Madrid was so tough with Jose Mour inho and Manuel Pellegrini as well.
“Madrid were always an incredible opponent. Here, since arriving, Liverpool have been the big rival with their quality.
“I have incredible respect for Liverpool the last few years and also Barcelona under Luis Enrique.
“When I managed Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final, Barcelona were the toughest opponents I ever faced. “But in the last three years the toughest opponents we have in the Premier League are Liverpool.”
Raheem Sterling will be City’s biggest goal threat against his old club and Guardiola insists the England star can become an even better player. But he has told the 25-year-old not to obsess about becoming the best in the world.
The City boss said: “What I would say to him is don’t think about this so much – it makes no sense.
“Just enjoy the life, focus and destiny will dictate who he is as a player. I know he’s one of the most fantastic players I have in my career as manager. It depends on him of cou rse and h is performance.”