Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told his side to stop behaving as if they had attended a funeral after a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday dealt a serious blow to their title challenge and handed the advantage to Manchester City
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told his side to stop behaving as if they had attended a funeral after a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday dealt a serious blow to their title challenge and handed the advantage to Manchester City
Luis Diaz rescued a point for Liverpool as they went top of the Premier League on goal difference but City can open up a three-point gap with a win against Newcastle United on Sunday.
“First and foremost we should stop behaving like it is a funeral,” said Klopp. “I didn’t say that to the boys but it’s a little bit the mood here. We still talk about football and these kind of things can happen. In my life, much worse things happened and I’m still here.”
The German added that he did not expect champions City to slip up with four matches remaining.
“The only chance we have is if something goes our way. Imagine City lose, I can’t see it, but imagine if they do and we lose it (the title) because we don’t believe any more. That would be crazy,” said Klopp.
“My problem is not City against Newcastle, it is that we play against Aston Villa on Tuesday.”
Liverpool, who have already won the League Cup, are chasing a quadruple of trophies this season after reaching the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League.
Spurs deserve to be in top-four race, says Conte
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said his side were worthy contenders for a spot in the Premier League top four after they drew 1-1 at Liverpool on Saturday and stayed in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Spurs trail fourth-placed Arsenal by one point with three games remaining but Mikel Arteta’s team can extend that gap with victory against Leeds United on Sunday before the north London rivals meet in a potentially season-defining clash on Thursday.
“There are three games to go for us, four games for Arsenal. “Not easy for us, not easy for Arsenal.” Conte told reporters.
“We deserve to stay in this race, because I think in November, not many people believed that Tottenham could fight until the end for a place in the Champions League. Now we are in the race and we are deserving of this.”
Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo last year with Spurs languishing in ninth, and the Italian has revitalised their season by introducing defensive discipline and intensity in attack.
“On Thursday, we have an important game, a vital game, north London Derby against Arsenal, our rivals for this race. It’s a vital game, and I want to try to get three points, because it will be very important to continue to evolve and to finish in the Champions League,” Conte added.
