Manchester City currently lead Liverpool - who have a game in hand - by six points in the Premier League table; Chelsea are the duo's nearest challengers but are 10 points further back in third; Jurgen Klopp: "If we couldn't be here... then City would have been champions in February"
Monday 7 March 2022 15:18, UK
Jurgen Klopp has claimed Manchester City would have been crowned Premier League champions in February if it was not for his Liverpool side, adding that the two teams push each other to "insane levels".
City and Liverpool have shared the past four league titles between them and are engaged in another two-horse race for the Premier League crown this season, with Pep Guardiola's side leading by six points, although Klopp's team have a game in hand.
The fact that only once in the last four seasons has the title winner recorded fewer than 98 points shows the levels the two sides have reached, while the 81 points earned by Manchester United is the highest earned by any side not coached by Klopp or Guardiola in that period of time.
Third-placed Chelsea are currently 10 points behind Liverpool - and another six further back from City - but Klopp says he and his team enjoy the challenge of trying to better the champions in the Premier League.
"It's the strongest league in the world, no doubt about that," said Klopp. "But it's the challenge and actually we enjoy it.
"If we couldn't be here this year, or two years ago, or three years ago, then City would have been champions in February. Because we are around, it was tighter. If City were not here I think there's a good chance we would be champions."
Guardiola has previously called Liverpool the "strongest opponents" he has ever faced as a manager, and Klopp made a similar admission about City, saying of their manager's compliment: "I can give that back!
He added of Guardiola: "I could say City is the toughest opponent I ever had, but I should not forget I faced him already at Bayern [Munich] and I cannot say it was much easier.
"I know what he means. We pushed each other on insane levels in the last few years, with the number of points collected. OK, we couldn't cope with it last year for obvious reasons, but in the other years we were around.
"I don't think City would get the amount of points they will get this year if we weren't around, and if they weren't around it's pretty much the same. But a lot of games to play - we will see where we end up."
Liverpool stuttered to a 1-0 win at home to West Ham on Saturday but have had little time to reflect on a slightly-underwhelming performance, with a Champions League last-16 second leg coming up at home to Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Klopp's side also faced Norwich in an FA Cup tie and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final - which went to extra-time and penalties - in the six days before taking on the Hammers, leaving the German to admit their recent fixture schedule has been "horrible".
Asked if his side could generate momentum during such an intense run, Klopp said: "Only when you can make changes. If you can't make changes then no.
"We played the final Sunday, then Wednesday, then Saturday, now Tuesday - that's actually horrible. If we can make changes in decisive positions, like midfield, then it's possible."
Klopp is confident Thiago Alcantara - who has missed Liverpool's last three matches - and Joel Matip - who was ruled out of the West Ham game - will be fit to face Inter, although he is unsure on the involvement of Roberto Firmino, who has been out since scoring the winner in the first leg on February 16.
Klopp wants his Liverpool team to attack Inter at Anfield - despite their 2-0 lead from the first leg - which could be good news for Fabinho, who says he is looking to reach double figures for goals before the end of the season.
The Brazilian midfielder has six so far this campaign - more than double what he has managed in his three previous seasons - and he says part of that is due to Klopp's tactical switch at set-pieces.
"I was always the last man to stop the counter-attack," said Fabinho. "Now the coach has given me more confidence and put me more in the box and I am scoring goals.
"It's good for me and for the team as well. I didn't think too much about targets but if I can score 10, it would be very good for a defensive midfielder.
"The team scores a lot of goals and when a team scores a lot of goals, players like me and other defenders really have a chance to score as well."
Sky Sports' Gary Neville:
"We've definitely got a title race irrespective of if they'd both got three points this weekend. City will come off the pitch against United flying and buzzing but Liverpool are dangerous and I think they've still got the better front players in their squad and in the team.
"You look at Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Firmino, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, Divock Origi - six players who are a massive threat. Three of them are out of this world. That makes them a real threat towards the end of the season. We saw Liverpool win the League Cup last weekend, they've got the bit between their teeth.
"You saw Jurgen Klopp's celebration at the end of the win over West Ham and it was telling. Sir Alex Ferguson would do it sometimes. He would over-celebrate 1-0 wins as he knew how important they were. You could say Liverpool have struggled at home to beat West Ham while City have battered United.
"But Liverpool could easily batter United in a few weeks' time when they play them as well. We've seen City struggle against Tottenham and lose the game, so there's a long way to go. We've got two brilliant teams and there's a long way to go."
Man City
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Man City
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Man City
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