Jurgen Klopp admits it WILL be harder for Liverpool to win the Premier League this season
Jurgen Klopp admits it will be harder for Liverpool to win the Premier League this season as he praised the quality of his early season title rivals.
The defending champions are joint top with Tottenham nine games into the new season but have been ravaged by injuries, particularly in defence.
Allied with a punishing schedule in a truncated campaign and the form of Spurs and Chelsea, Klopp is not expecting a repeat of last season, when Liverpool wrapped up their first title in 30 years with seven games to play.
Jurgen Klopp was speaking ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Brighton on Saturday lunch time
Asked if will be harder this season ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brighton, Klopp said simply: ‘Yes’.
He did not expand on his reasons, but was earlier generous in his praise of Frank Lampard and Jose Mourinho’s sides.
Chelsea are two points behind Liverpool and Spurs, level with Leicester, with Southampton one point further back.
Klopp said: ‘A lot of quality in these squads. They all played a good season so far. Not surprised Spurs and Chelsea are there.
He praised the quality of Tottenham, who are joint top with Liverpool in the Premier League
Klopp also praised Chelsea, who are just two points behind the pair in third place
‘Southampton look really good, Leicester we know about. A sign it is all close together this season. An interesting season. A lot of chances.’
Klopp is hoping to welcome back captain Jordan Henderson at the weekend, after he missed last weekend’s victory over Leicester due to an injury picked up on England duty this month.
He revealed: ‘Hendo trained yesterday, parts of team training and individual session. We have to see what we do with that.’
Liverpool were beaten 2-0 by Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Klopp naming a makeshift XI as he wrestles with the twin problems of injuries and fixture congestion.
Klopp admits it will be harder to win the league this season that it was last year for Liverpool
Klopp clutches the Premier League trophy in July after ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait
He would not commit on who will be fit to line up on the south coast in Saturday’s lunch time kick-off.
He added: ‘The other players who played are in recovery. So we have to make late decisions. If you ask me now what will be my lineup, I couldn’t. I have to make this decision as late as possible depending on who looks ready.
‘We have another 25 hours to make sure we bring the fittest and freshest players on the pitch.’
