Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp thinks it would be “the biggest joke in the history of football” to write Manchester City out of the title race this early in the season.
After deservedly losing 1-0 to Aston Villa at Villa Park on Wednesday the Cityzens have failed to win in their last four Premier League games – the first time this has happened since April 2017.
The defeat leaves Man City in fourth place in the table, six points adrift from league leaders Arsenal.
As for Liverpool, they picked up a valuable three points against Sheffield United on Wednesday. This puts them in second place, just two points behind the Gunners.
The Reds are well and truly in the title race, but Klopp is under no illusions that serial winners Man City still pose a serious threat, while several other teams are “fighting.”
“If somebody would write Man City off that would be the biggest joke in the history of football. Arsenal are fighting and had a similar experience we had [late win vs Fulham],” Klopp said.
“It feels really good but anyway you have to start the next game from 0-0. Aston Villa is incredible.
“Man United is there, don’t play yet maybe exactly the football whoever wants – the media or whatever – but they have points like crazy.
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“Chelsea, I’m not sure if they’re coming. The league is incredibly strong, you need to be lucky to get through difficult moments, with injuries especially.
“So I have no clue [who will win the title]. Probably [there are more challengers]. It was the last years, always two.
“I’m not interested in that, so long as we’re around there. But it’s so difficult and intense. Ask me again in April.”
Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai supplied the goals in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Klopp praised his team’s performance as ‘mature,’ and the result keeps them within touching distance of the Premier League top spot.
“Let me say it like this: I am really pleased with the result and I am really pleased with a lot of aspects of the game.
I would call it a mature performance besides a few moments when we gave the ball away in areas where we should not do it. That was when the crowd got excited.
“Besides that if you didn’t see the game, you could have heard it because we calmed an atmosphere down that was really ready to go and that was super important.
“And besides that I don’t want to be overly critical, I know we can play better football but this time of the year you play and hopefully win and play again. That is it.”
Liverpool face Crystal Palace on Saturday and Klopp will be hoping his team can bridge the gap with Arsenal, who face a tough clash against high-flying Aston Villa at Villa Park.
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