Maurizio Sarri acknowledges Chelsea can’t catch Liverpool in the title race
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has said that the Blues are no longer capable of challenging Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title after suffering their third defeat of the season against Leicester City at the Bridge. The west London side are currently 11 points adrift of Jurgen Klopp’s side after just 18 games into the season.
Speaking after the Blues’ 1-0 defeat to Leicester City, Sarri stressed that the Blues were never in the title hunt from the start of the season and their challenge has become impossible after the recent run of results. He added that the Blues may need to be wary of the teams behind them with a top-four finish likely to remain the objective for the rest of the season.
KLOPP DELIGHTED BY LIVERPOOL DISPLAY
Jurgen Klopp believes table-topping Liverpool’s impressive club record-equalling unbeaten Premier League run boils down to improved control.
Liverpool notched a 17th league match without defeat in Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of Bournemouth at Dean Court, where Mohamed Salah bagged a stunning hat-trick.
Liverpool legend urges Jurgen Klopp to sign Christian Pulisic
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has urged Reds manager Jurgen Klopp to consider a potential move for Borussia Dortmund Christian Pulisic with the club yet to pursue a big-money replacement for Philippe Coutinho. Pulisic has just 20 months remaining on his existing Borussia Dortmund deal and this has intensified speculation concerning his future after he revealed his dream of playing Premier League football.
In this regard, the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool have already been credited with an interest in the United States international but Aldridge believes the latter should go for the attacker as he offers similar qualities to that of the departed Coutinho, he said on The Liverpool Echo: “Christian Pulisic would be a fantastic signing for Liverpool. I know Borussia Dortmund have said he's not for sale in January but next summer he will only have a year left on his contract.
Virgil van Dijk unperturbed by Manchester City’s title pursuit
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has said that his side should not fret over Manchester City’s title challenge and should continue with their good run of form in the Premier League. The Reds are currently one of three teams including Manchester City and Chelsea, who are unbeaten in the league this season, though they are trailing the former by two points at the top of the table.
Speaking in a press conference, Virgil van Dijk highlighted that the Citizens are the best team in the league but the Reds would do their best to outsmart them to the top of the standings, he said:“They are the champions and the best team in the league but we will try everything to be as good as we can.
“We shouldn’t look at others, we want to look at the games we have and the next challenge we have at Liverpool is Watford away, which is going to be tough. The season is very long. They (City) are not going to win every game 5-0 and are going to have tough games like everyone else. “We need to look at what we have ahead of us and that is more important than looking at someone else. It is the only way forward.”
Keegan Claims Liverpool’s Lack of Experience Could Hurt Reds in Title Race
Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan reckons that it is extremely difficult for Jurgen Klopp to guide Liverpool to a first Premier league title largely due to the lack of experience when going up against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City. The Reds are at the top of the league table after the first seven games of the campaign, but they are placed alongside Manchester City and Chelsea. Both clubs have been able to enjoy league success in recent years while Liverpool have been unable to win even cup competitions of late. The lack of success for the majority of the Liverpool players means that they are unlikely to stay calm and composed when the going gets tough in the league table.
Keegan won numerous titles with Liverpool as a player but he was unable to enjoy the same kind of success as a manager. He former Liverpool forward came close to winning the league title while with Newcastle towards the turn of the century. Back then, his Newcastle team finished second best to Manchester United largely due to a lack of experience – both on the part of the manager and players. Klopp has enjoyed relative success back in Germany that his failures in the cup competitions like the Champions League final does weigh heavily upon him.