Next up for Klopp’s Liverpool, who are now up to ninth in the Premier League standings, is a Europa League clash against Bordeaux at Anfield on Thursday, before Swansea City visit Merseyside on Sunday.
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Liverpool have now beaten champions Chelsea and City in successive away games and while they lie six points off the Champions League places, Klopp believes that vital self-belief is being forged.
When Klopp was revealed as a Liverpool manager, he had straight away said that it won’t be an overnight process and will take time to change. We were always confident we could do something in the second half but it wasn’t our day and we’ve dropped points. “The good news is that we can do better”. The two reasons for that, I think, was to stop Man City – when they were in possession – from playing balls into midfield and force them wide. Like the Tottenham game, the absence of the big Belgian at centre half meant many chinks were exposed in City’s armour, as they simply could not deal with Liverpool.
Even when Liverpool’s season was stalling at the beginning it was clear to see if they could keep finding Coutinho then things will start to happen. Only one player in Europe’s major leagues – Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro of Toulouse – has made more tackles in 2015/16.
After taking part in only three matches this season, all under previous manager Brendan Rodgers, he hurt a knee in training and has not played since. “This year it is important to try to be at the top of the group, not only to avoid Barcelona or other important teams but because it is a test for us to try and win in a hard stadium here”.
Asked if he felt he was fouled by Coutinho in the build-up, Sagna said: “To me it is a foul because he clearly pushed me, but the game kept going and we conceded a goal”. We have to work, that ” s all”, he said.
“We’re improving, the manager has come in and changed the way we want to play and the longer we’re together, the better we’ll get at that I’m sure”.
With qualification to the knockout stages secured nice and early, Manchester City must be looking forward to this game in Italy as the chance to bounce back.
Firmino enjoyed his best performance in a red shirt since joining the club from German side Hoffenheim for a reported fee of 29 million pounds ($45.8 million).
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“That will help him and us”. If somebody thinks after a game like this we can go to the top of the table, it’s really not my problem.
