They are top. A good team with good players.
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But De Bruyne, who sealed his return to the Premier League in a £54million move in the summer, claims the move was blocked after Mourinho had promised him first-team football in west London.
For the visitors, the headlines are again to do with the strikers, and whether former City man Daniel Sturridge will be named in Klopp’s squad.
“It’s very satisfying”, said Klopp.
“I think he [Klopp] is a good trainer”.
“It was very good”. “We can do better than tonight but maybe not in counter-attack”. “City can win this by a brace and I fancy a 3-1 scoreline”.
Coutinho left the field limping in the second half, but Klopp was hopeful he had not too an injury.
The German selected the majority of players he had to work with at Melwood during the global break and the link-up play between Coutinho and Firmino certainly proved that was the right call with the latter particularly impressive.
“I know about his quality”.
“We tried to close the spaces, we pressed high and the crowd became nervous, that was the first step”.
“It was a little bit of cramp”, said the manager.
It was put to Skrtel that he regularly scores against Manchester City and he joked: “I wouldn’t mind if we played them every week”.
In midfield, the absence of Fernandinho, who started the game on the bench, also proved a mistake with Yaya Toure performing badly before being replaced at half-time, but Pellegrini refused to accept the defeat was down to his selection. It’s so important and I hope we can do it. Of course he is not at 100% and we have to see. If you look at the teams, we have played away from home and the results we have got, it has been pretty solid, but obviously the home form we can improve.
“I will not explain the starting 11”.
“That was one moment but it was not the biggest problem”.
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Sergio, also David, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy the whole season, Fernando for a month and a half, [Pablo] Zabaleta played two games in the season, that is why we have a squad.
