Ahead of Sunday’s game against Premier League leaders Arsenal, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his team cannot rely on the atmosphere at Anfield to turn around their recent struggles.
Despite having a poor season, Liverpool has only dropped one game at home in the Premier League this year and has only let up nine goals.
Their next opponent, Arsenal, is focused on winning their first league championship since 2004, but the Gunners haven’t triumphed at Anfield since September 2012, when current manager Mikel Arteta was playing in the middle of the field.
Liverpool has gone four games without a victory in any tournament, but their 7-0 demolition of Manchester United in their most recent success demonstrates what is possible when playing in front of your home fans.
“I’m not sure precisely what you can say about us right now,” Klopp stated at his pre-game press conference. “It’s still Anfield, we’re at home, but we have a lot to improve on. The atmosphere at Anfield is not the only thing we should rely on, but there is no denying that our team’s mix of people, place, and players is a rather strong one. That is what we can add, but we shouldn’t rely on it. I am certain that we can succeed.”
Klopp: “We must improve on our game ASAP”
With 10 games left, Liverpool has four clubs sitting above them in the league and is seven points behind the top four.
They still have to face Tottenham, Brentford, and Aston Villa in the final stretch, but they have already dropped more league games in 2023 than they did in all of 2022, when they won two trophies and finished second in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Klopp remarked, “We need to play better football and maintain the ball in key areas ASAP. I know that seems so easy, but the recent game versus Chelsea was a great example.”
Klopp: Diaz will play for Leeds again
Klopp reckons that Luis Diaz will make his long-awaited comeback against Leeds at Elland Road in about ten days.
The Colombian international has been warming the bench since October with a knee injury but is now reportedly close to returning, according to Klopp.
The German stated, “The aim with Luis is that he will be 100% available for Leeds. Once more, everything seemed to be in order, although the damage was severe and required much treatment. For Sunday, we probably won’t include him.”
However, Thiago Alcantara, a midfielder who missed two months due to a hip issue, is now able to play again. Virgil van Dijk will also be available after missing Tuesday’s match against Chelsea due to sickness.
“Thiago appears to be somewhat changed. He wasn’t out for very long; he’s trained with the squad three or four times right now and might be available, but we need to see how he feels right now,” continued Klopp.
“Virgil was back in training, and is just how he used to be.”
