Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has sent a warning to his players that if they are to win next season’s Premier League title, it will not just be Manchester City whom they need to challenge.
The German pointed to a resurgent Manchester United and Chelsea as among the sides who would need to be considered as title challengers next campaign.
City are set to regain the league title – their third crown in four seasons – as they hold a 10-point lead over Manchester rivals United at the top with just five rounds of games remaining.
The Reds are a whopping 23 points off the title pace and are currently languishing in sixth position, although they still retain hopes of securing a top four spot and Champions League football.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Klopp warned ahead of next season: “We are responsible for the things that happen to us. We were involved in the last few years constantly in semi-finals and fighting or league titles.
“I don’t know if other teams felt bad because of us but I wish for them not, I’m not like that. I’m not a person like this.
“They [City] deserve the situation they are in. That is football, that is fair. They won an awful lot of games. United turned the game around [against Roma] – like they did 20 times this year.
“I had my bad moments in the season for other reasons, not because other teams are winning more games than us.
“That’s not my problem, my only problem is with the opponent of the specific weekend and not think, ‘oh my God, City again and United are back on track’.
“Life is too short for these kind of worries or thoughts.
“We will challenge them again next year but this year we can only finish our season as good as possible and we have nothing to do with semi-finals and finals.
“It always becomes harder because City never stops. That is clear. They did not stop and they will not stop.”
Klopp went on to directly name both United and Chelsea as sides who would be in a position to challenge for the title, while also name-dropping other sides with the capability of challenging.
He added: “United is coming up definitely everyone can see that, Chelsea is obviously in a brilliant place, a top squad.
“Thomas [Tuchel] inherited a present and you can see that they are really good so it will not get easier.
“We’re not just talking about City there will be other teams for sure. We have to deal with all the other teams who are outstandingly strong but still go under the radar like Leicester : brilliant manager and a top squad dealing with different situations.
“Nobody should write off Tottenham or Arsenal. Obviously West Ham is now flying. How can it be easier? It is not only City.”
