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Jurgen Klopp sets Liverpool huge task to beat City to title; fitness update for ‘tough cookie’ Mo Salah

Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool will probably have to win all 10 of their remaining Premier League matches if they are to be crowned champions of England again – and the Reds manager insists his players are up for the challenge.

Manchester City’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Monday night has given Liverpool some hope in the title race. That means Klopp’s side can close the gap to a point with victory at Arsenal on Wednesday. And there is the small matter of a trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City next month.

In the season they were pipped to the title by City in 2018-19, Liverpool won their final nine league matches. However, that still wasn’t enough as Pep Guardiola’s team reeled off 14 successive victories to finish top by a point.

To this day, Liverpool’s 97-point haul that year is the highest ever achieved by a runner-up.

Klopp now admits they will approach their task like a succession of ‘finals’.

“That is the plan, of course, that we keep being as annoying as possible but we have to win our football games,” the Liverpool boss said.

“If I sit here and say we win 10 games that doesn’t sound very likely. But as long as it is possible, we will give it a proper try I can tell you.

“If you go through the last few years, it never looked different. Not sure how many years in my whole career were where we had not to go with all we had until the last matchday because something was there to grab.

“Was it to stay in the league? Was it a spot in the Europa League or was it a spot in the Champions League? Maybe it is becoming champion or whatever!

“We reached a quarter-final in two competitions (they have won the Carabao Cup and face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup this weekend) and in the Premier League we are not in the worst possible spot.

“It’s a long finish but we will give it a go and see what happens.

“It is final after final after final after final after final after final that we play. That is how it is. That’s how we prepare, how we set it up.”

Jurgen Klopp knows what is at stake for Liverpool

He continued: “What kind of different situation could be there out there? That we are 10 points ahead and 10 games to go and everyone tells you you are through and asks where the celebrations will be?

“I tell you what, that feels really uncomfortable – not that it happened often in in my life – but it is really uncomfortable to sit in that situation.

“Now everything is in front of us: attack it, chase it, go for it.”

Klopp’s side are currently on an eight-match Premier League winning run but even after their latest win – the 2-0 success at Brighton – he is still asking them for more.

“You say we won the last eight games. Imagine we lost one of them? It would still be a good run, seven games, one defeat, but for us it’s like ‘Oh God!’.

“The mood is good, not like crazy good, but just concentrated, focused and good.

“I know it’s not that we are flying all the time but after the (Brighton) game when I speak in the dressing room and I am then critical you see the faces of the boys like ‘What is he talking about? What can we do more than winning?’

“But it is about staying on track, it’s about trying to improve even the best moment.”

Mohamed Salah on track to face Arsenal

Klopp received a boost ahead of the trip to London with the news Mohamed Salah is expected to be in the squad. That’s after a foot injury forced him off at the Amex on Saturday. The Egyptian star was also absent from Reds training on Monday with the problem.

“Mo is a tough cookie and he was only a little bit cut, we were quite lucky with it. It was swollen, painful, yesterday a little less swollen, less painful,” added Jurgen Klopp.

“Now I got the message before the press conference that Mo is ready to train and we will see how that looks.”

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