Premier League title would not be ‘done and dusted’ if Liverpool beat Manchester City - Jurgen Klopp
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Updated 08/04/2022 at 11:10 GMT
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists Sunday’s huge Premier League game with Manchester City is not a title decider, and that anyone who thinks it will be “done and dusted” is wrong. The Anfield boss says it is “madness” how both sides have pushed each other in the past four years, and described Pep Guardiola as the best coach in the world.
Klopp labels Guardiola 'the best coach in the world' ahead of City clash
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says anyone who thinks the Premier League title will be “done and dusted” if they beat Manchester City on Sunday is wrong - but he admits it is “madness” that they have pushed each other so much in the past four years.
City go into the game just a point above their rivals and many believe whoever comes out on top at the Etihad Stadium will end up finishing the season as champions, as both teams will only have seven games left to play.
But Klopp, predictably, does not see it that way and believes there is plenty of time for either side to slip up.
“We win, we are two points up, if everybody thinks that’s done and dusted, I cannot help [that],” said Klopp.
“If we lose, we are four points behind - if anyone thinks that’s it, [league positions] cannot change - but I know no-one from a City point of view would think like that. If it’s a draw, we’re one point behind.
“It’s a very important game, really looking forward to it, it is one of the biggest challenges you can face in football but that’s really nice. Even if we were 15 points behind it would still be a great game.
We qualified for a great game with the season that we’ve played so far and I’m really happy that we can be part of it. I can imagine a lot of people will watch it and we will give it a try.
City ran away with the league last season but this is the third in four campaigns that both teams have entered the business end pushing each other, with little to separate them.
Liverpool great Jamie Carragher believes his old club’s rivalry with City is the greatest in English football - a comment which will divide many football supporters. Klopp was not willing to give his view on that, but also used an example from tennis to show that rivalries help make sport so interesting.
“Nadal and Federer enjoyed a lot the rivalry they had, I’m not sure if they would still play or win tournaments - I cannot see that - but they enjoyed that," he said.
“I wouldn’t say I’m thankful that City are that good, but it didn’t deny our development.
We push each other to incredible point tallies, madness, I would never have thought these kind of things are possible, especially not in this league.
“The consistency both teams showed in that period is crazy. The closer you get, the more likely it is you can overtake - but we know it’s tough. But everyone else thinks it’s tough when they face us, and that’s really good.”
Klopp also took issue with a journalist who failed to see the “ironic” side of Guardiola commenting this week that he likes to “overthink” things in Champions League games, when the City boss poked fun at himself ahead of their quarter-final first leg with Atletico Madrid. But he added when he faces the Spaniard, he will be going up against a great of the game.
“Pep is the best coach in the world, I think we all would agree on that. It might be a coincidence that it didn’t work out in the Champions League so far, but if anybody doubts him I have no idea how that could happen.
“We all think a lot, it’s the reason why we sometimes make mistakes and we sometimes find out the right things to do. We try to imagine what could happen, what can help, but it’s true in the end you have to stop with the information because the boys have to play.”
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