Liverpool should not focus only on Haaland says Klopp

LIVERPOOL — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he cannot afford to focus too heavily on in-form striker Erling Haaland in Sunday’s clash against Manchester City as the champions have too many threats elsewhere.

The Norway international has scored 20 times this season, including 15 Premier League goals, and will pose a huge threat at Anfield.

City and Liverpool have been the dominant forces in the English top flight in recent seasons but Klopp’s side have started the current campaign slowly, winning just two of their first eight league games.

The Anfield side are languishing in 10th spot in the table, already 13 points behind second-placed City, who have smashed in 33 goals in just nine Premier League games.

Liverpool kept Haaland quiet in the FA Community Shield, the curtain-raiser to the new season, but the 22-year-old has since scored in every game for City in all competitions except one.

“Like always when you play against the best striker in the world, you have to make sure he doesn’t get that many balls,” Klopp said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“That is what you have to defend before you come into the challenge with him so that is what we will try.

“But against City the problem is if you close Haaland down with too many players then you open up gaps for all the other world-class players so that will not make life easier.

“It’s a challenge, a football problem but we try and find solutions.”

Liverpool came up against Haaland twice in the Champions League in 2019, when he was a raw 19-year-old playing for Red Bull Salzburg, and he scored in one of the games.

Klopp said his potential at even that tender age was “insane”.

“Physically he sets new standards, the combination of being really physical and technical. His orientation on the pitch is exceptional — he knows always where the decisive gaps are and is barely offside — so many things for making a striker.

“[He has] some of the best players around him in the world in setting up goals and finding the right moments for the passes: Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, (Riyad) Mahrez — they are all really good at that so it’s a perfect fit, no doubt about that.”

Pep Guardiola has scoffed at the suggestion Manchester City should roll over Liverpool on current form when the sides meet on Sunday. 

During Guardiola’s time at City and Klopp’s era as Liverpool boss, the two clubs have become the strongest forces in the English game. 

Liverpool’s title triumph in 2019/20 is the only time City have failed to win the league in the past five seasons, but twice they have pipped the Reds by just a point in thrilling title races. 

However, Liverpool’s run of just two wins in their opening eight games of the Premier League season has allowed City to open up a 13-point lead on Klopp’s men. 

“For just two little details they didn’t achieve something that no English team has done,” said Guardiola of Liverpool narrowly missing out on an unprecedented quadruple last season. 

“It is the same team, same manager, these moments happen. We will have it. We try to avoid bad moments, but we will have [them]. It’s part of the nature of the competition. 

“The players know because over the past years we fought for all the competitions and all the titles. It’s been really close and we were a little bit better in the Premier League, but nothing changes the opinion I have about them.” 

The arrival of Erling Haaland at City appears to have made a difficult task in taking the title off Guardiola’s men an almost impossible one. 

Haaland has scored 20 goals in 12 competitive games, including 15 in just nine Premier League appearances. 

And the Norwegian will be fresh for the trip to Anfield after Guardiola left him on the bench for the full game as City drew 0-0 with FC Copenhagen in midweek to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. 

“Erling last season could not play this amount of games in a row,” added Guardiola on Haaland’s injury-disrupted campaign with Borussia Dortmund last season. 

“He was tired, Bernardo [Silva] as well and other ones. Of course they feel good, so they are ready.”