- Liverpool nine points behind City as trip to Chelsea looms
- Jürgen Klopp: ‘the problem is City’s quality, not motivation’
Having been there, done that, just fallen short and finally succeeded, Jürgen Klopp knows exactly what it takes to compete with Manchester City for the title and there was no mincing of words by the German as he outlined the task facing Liverpool in their latest battle with Pep Guardiola’s men. “You have to be perfect,” he said. “And if you’re not perfect you have to hope City are not perfect.”
Both parts of that statement could be deemed wishful thinking at the end of a week in which the gap between the sides stretched to nine points on the back of Liverpool suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to Leicester and City winning by the same scoreline at Brentford to make it 10 league victories in a row for the champions and leaders. They are looking relentless again, whereas for Liverpool there is the very real threat of a stumble becoming a full-on fall given their next assignment is Sunday’s trip to Chelsea. It will not be easy against the team one place and point ahead of them and defeat, coupled with City winning again at Arsenal on Saturday, really would make Liverpool’s title hopes feel terminal.