Klopp insists Liverpool’s defending the key to overhauling Manchester City

Jürgen Klopp believes Liverpool can overtake Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title providing his players “defend at the top level” for the rest of the season.

Liverpool can reduce the gap on the champions back to three points with victory at injury-hit Leicester on Tuesday, when Klopp will have Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Thiago Alcântara and Curtis Jones available following their return from Covid isolation. The game at the King Power Stadium marks the halfway point of Liverpool’s campaign and their manager, while acknowledging the ominous challenge presented by City, is confident his team’s improvement can deliver a second league title in three seasons.

“I think it’s possible, that’s what we should think because that is why we are here, but it is absolutely difficult,” said Klopp on the task of finishing above Pep Guardiola’s side. “The consistency the boys show is incredible but that is the only chance you have. In a league with probably the best team in the world it is really tricky to be ahead of them. So far, at least, we are not completely out of reach. It is not like we have no chance anymore, but of course you know City won’t drop a lot of points so you better not drop a lot of points yourself.

“What do we have to do better? First and foremost we have to defend at the top level. On top of that we have improved a lot football-wise: we play some really good stuff and we are more difficult to defend against than we maybe were in the past. Some good steps. Will that be enough? I have no idea. Without being at least as consistent as we have been we have no chance. If we really want to go for a big one then we have to be even more consistent.”

Klopp is reluctant to compare Liverpool’s current form to the title-winning campaign of 2020 but admits his squad has improved in certain aspects. “I hope I don’t eat my words but we are more stable than we were in the past,” he said. “We have to stay like this, at least. That is the minimum. We have to play flexible football, direct football, creative football, to defend rock solid and to force things as well in games up until the last second. We had periods in games when we were 2-0 up and the opponent came back. The things we don’t do right we have to learn from, and that is what this group always did. It gives some reason to be optimistic but of course opponents are incredibly strong and even when they are not flying they win the games.”

It was four years ago on Monday that Liverpool confirmed the transformative £75m signing of Van Dijk from Southampton. The defender’s return to fitness and form after nine months out with a cruciate ligament injury strengthens Klopp’s belief that his team can defend at the level he considers necessary to win a title. “He’s now back to his best for sure. What helps us a lot and what helps him a lot is that we have options around that we don’t have to push him through the moments when his body is giving a sign that he needs to step aside,” said Klopp. “That’s why the situation is very good. Virgil’s arrival was obviously a big day in our common history and it is a good example for a winter transfer and how it works.

“A winter transfer works when you either wanted to sign a player the summer before or the summer after. We wanted Virgil in the summer, for some reasons we couldn’t do the transfer, but then in the winter we tried again and could get it through. It was a very important day, it changed a lot for us. All of a sudden we could defend in a different way. We could make the pitch smaller for the opponent, so that was pretty helpful.”

Liverpool have Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Naby Keïta available for the Leicester game as well as for Sunday’s visit to Chelsea after their departures for the Africa Cup of Nations were delayed.