Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders refuses to concede Premier League title to Manchester City
According to The Liverpool Echo, Liverpool assistant manager Pep LIjnders is adamant that the Reds still has a chance to achieve Premier League glory, and has refused to concede the league title to Manchester City.
The Dutchman, who stepped in for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp after the German tested positive for COVID-19, oversaw Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
The Reds had taken a two-goal lead and were looking comfortable until an incredible Chelsea fightback in the first half saw them come away from London with only a point. Yet, Lijnders praised his side for their fighting spirit.
“We never look at others. The title race is only decided on the last match and there are still so many points to collect.”
The result at Stamford Bridge has left Liverpool 11 points behind defending champions Manchester City in the league, with opponents Chelsea also sitting a point above the Reds. Jurgen Klopp’s men however have a game in hand.
Despite the result, Lijnders did not want his side compared to others in the league, and talked about how there were many more points to fight for in the coming months.
He called on his side to draw inspiration from their previous triumphs in the Champions League and the Premier League and come out of this frustrating period with flying colours.
“That’s how our team developed and how they are at this moment in time, because we only focus on the next game, to make it a final and give everything we have and with this we become better. With this we became champions and won the Champions League and won the other two cups as well. That’s what we have to keep doing.”
With Manchester City pulling away from the rest of the league with every passing gameweek, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be frustrated by their latest result, especially after throwing away a two goal cushion. The Merseyside club have not won a game in their previous four fixtures.
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The COVID-19 outbreak in the league and injury woes have not helped Klopp’s team, who have dropped crucial points during the busy festive period. They are also losing star strikers Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane, along with midfielder Naby Keita, to their respective international sides to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations beginning in January.
Klopp will desperately hope for his depleted squad to really pull through and put in their best performances over the coming weeks, rather than meekly give away the title to City .