Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that Pep Guardiola’s anger after Man City’s recent dip in form was good for him as it shifted the limelight from his own rant after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland.
Manchester City had made an incredible start to their season with a brilliant run of consecutive wins, but after a series of lack lustre performances in the last two months, Guardiola’s side looks completely out of shape.
Guardiola’s side are 7 points behind current league leaders Chelsea and two points behind second placed Liverpool.
Man City suffered a disappointing defeat against Liverpool during the New Year’s Eve but they got back to winning ways after earning a hard fought 2-1 win over Burnley on Monday.
After Manchetser City’s 2-1 win over Burnley and ahead of their Man City’s FA Cup game at West Ham, Guardiola vented out his anger during his television interviews and post-match media conference.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager also explained exactly what he meant when he had revealed his plans about retirement and Manchester City’s stature in comparison to other top-flight clubs in Europe.
On the other hand Liverpool suffered a shocking 2-2 draw with Sunderland, which ended their four-match winning streak but Klopp’s post-match dig at referee Anthony Taylor did not draw the same amount of publicity.
Ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round match at home to Plymouth Argyle, Klopp said: “It was strange for me,”
“At the end we were all frustrated. You couldn’t expect the best performance of the season.”
“We got a point but it felt like a defeat. I was glad that Pep then had his press conference and nobody spoke about mine!”
“It was my first experience with a fixture like this. I couldn’t judge the game after the game.”
“Sunderland did really well. It is still difficult to play them at home. [They are] well organised.”
Klopp is still confident that his side are still in the mix for the title challenge and heaped praise on his players for their indomitable passion. The Reds are second in the Premier League table with 44 points in 20 games – 5 points behind current league leaders Chelsea.
Klopp said: “When we met together in June we had no big dreams but we thought we could play a good season.”
“We had no time to celebrate having 43 points [before the Sunderland game]. It is only a base for the rest of the season. We have to keep going.”
“I told the boys after Sunderland: ‘So far, so good’. We have to keep on going. Not perfect, but we are all in a good way.”
“What am I dreaming about? Success and staying healthy and fit. We had a lot of injuries but we coped with it OK.”
“We know more about us. At the start of the season it was imagination. We thought it could work, now we know it could work.”