Jurgen Klopp has dismissed talk of Liverpool having the easiest run-in of the three teams battling for the Premier League title.
The Merseysiders returned to the top of the table following last night’s 3-1 defeat of rock-bottom Sheffield United but face a difficult test this weekend with a trip to north-west rivals Manchester United – the scene of their dramatic FA Cup exit three weeks ago.
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After the trip to Old Trafford, Liverpool have seven league games remaining – at home to Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Wolves and away games at Fulham, Everton, West Ham and Aston Villa.
Klopp said: “The next one is a big one, like they all are. Someone said we have the best fixture list [in the run-in] but I don’t know how you can have that idea. It will be a tough one but we are ready. We want to be in that fight.”
Klopp accepts Liverpool will have to be more clinical on Sunday if they wish to avoid a similar outcome to the FA Cup meeting in which they led twice before being beaten by Amad Diallo’s 120th-minute goal.
He added: “We were really good that day but we didn’t finish the situations off.
“Extra-time was too much for us and we couldn’t avoid the mistakes we could before.
“United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home but we have to do is what we did from minute 15 to 70-something.
“Football is not that easy. We have to find a way to cause United problems. They will try the same.
“Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good game if we want something from it.”
#MNULIV press conference 🎙️
Jürgen Klopp previews Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford, as we face Manchester United in the Premier League ✊ PIC.TWITTER.COM/SYT1XFHRVP
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) APRIL 5, 2024
United and Liverpool games are always highly-charged affairs but asked if he would miss this fixture in particular, Klopp said: “No. I have had them often enough.
“But what kind of manager would I be if I said I miss the Manchester United or Manchester City games… it’s all fine. I will miss probably all of them. We will see how I deal with missing football.”