Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his team’s entire emphasis is on winning games, not chasing down Premier League leaders Manchester City, despite closing the gap to three points.
Liverpool used their game in hand to reduce the gap at the top of the league and eclipse the champions’ goal difference tally, thumping Leeds United 6-0.
The Reds are three points behind City after playing the same number of games as Pep Guardiola’s side, but Jurgen Klopp refused to be pulled into title speculation ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.
“We don’t chase City, we try to win our football games,” he said. “Obviously we have our cup final at the weekend, City play before and they might win, so it [the lead] could be six points again before we next play.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his team’s entire emphasis is on winning games, not chasing down Premier League leaders Manchester City, despite closing the gap to three points.
Liverpool used their game in hand to reduce the gap at the top of the league and eclipse the champions’ goal difference tally, thumping Leeds United 6-0.
The Reds are three points behind City after playing the same number of games as Pep Guardiola’s side, but Klopp refused to be pulled into title speculation ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.
“We don’t chase City, we try to win our football games,” he said. “Obviously we have our cup final at the weekend, City play before and they might win, so it [the lead] could be six points again before we next play.
“I’m not sure whether we play before or after them in the game after, so it might be nine points all of a sudden. We don’t have to count these kinds of things, we just have to win our football games.
“Do we do it on the front foot? Yes.”
Mohamed Salah scored two penalties in the first half, either side of Joel Matip’s spectacular effort, before a late Sadio Mane double and Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time header sealed Liverpool’s dominance.
Despite their largest home win since September 2007, Klopp was more satisfied with his Liverpool players’ defensive performance, which he credited with being the difference between success and failure for his brilliant group.
“As much as I love the goals we scored tonight, I loved the clean sheet, because everything we do is based on a top, organised defensive performance,” Klopp added.
“Without that, we are just a good football team. With it, we can be a successful football team. I liked the determination we showed tonight for defending, the commitment from the boys.
“This is an interesting period of the season, definitely. We’ve got the final, then the FA Cup, and then West Ham, we already lost against them this season so no-one should count the points before we play them. We just have to stay really focused and go with it with all we have.”
Klopp’s celebration in front of the Kop at the finish, where he did eight fist pumps instead of his usual three, showed how important the result and performance were to him.
“I’m not sure had it been 10 seconds later I wouldn’t have done it but in that moment, I got carried away,” he explained.
“I really love how the whole stadium responded tonight to the game and how we were able to win the game as a unit and I couldn’t be more thankful for the support of the people.
“I am really happy that from time to time – it will not happen a lot – we can give them a performance and scoreline like tonight.”
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