Jurgen Klopp sees Saturday’s trip to Manchester City as a crucial test for his “Liverpool 2.0” project, saying the Reds will be going up against the best team in world football.
Liverpool went though a large-scale rebuild in the last transfer window, having failed to finish in the top four of the Premier League for the first time in a full campaign under Klopp in 2022-23.
The likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were brought in to replace long-serving midfielders Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner, and the results of Liverpool’s overhaul have so far been positive.
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They approach Saturday’s game just one point adrift of the champions at the top of the table, with their only league defeat of 2023-24 coming when they were reduced to nine men – and saw a legitimate goal incorrectly ruled out by the VAR – at Tottenham in September.
Klopp always expected Liverpool to bounce back from last season’s disappointing fifth-placed finish, but he knows Saturday’s game will be a real test of how far they have come.
“We had to improve from last season, it’s clear,” Klopp said at Friday’s pre-match press conference.
“I actually think without any changes whatsoever we would have improved on last season, because it was not good enough, it was not ourselves.
“But we had to make changes and we did that. I don’t think I’d describe this team as Liverpool 2.0, I’d rather say the project, or what we need to do, is to create Liverpool 2.0.
Back in @PREMIERLEAGUE action tomorrow 😁#MCILIV 🔜 PIC.TWITTER.COM/NIAPE9ZYVN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) NOVEMBER 24, 2023
“We had a very successful team, a super team of super characters, but time is running. We all get older and stuff like this. You will never be successful because you were successful.
“That’s what we had to do. So far, it looks like we brought in good players and now we have to make sure that we bring that consistently onto the pitch.
“Saturday is a big one, there’s no doubt about that. It’s the strongest team in the world over the last few years. It’s a massive task for every club in the world, not just us, but we’ll give it a try.”
Klopp confirmed Gravenberch, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones are all available for Saturday’s game after recovering from injuries, though he will assess Darwin Nunez’s condition after the striker was involved in Uruguay’s two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers during the international break.
Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 on their last visit to the Etihad Stadium in April as City took a huge step towards capturing their third successive Premier League title. Pep Guardiola’s team have won their last 23 games on home soil in all competitions, but Klopp is hopeful the Reds can cause them problems.
Questioned on City’s incredible run of home form, Klopp said: “I know the longer that a run is going, the more likely it is that it ends!
“They are extremely strong. I cannot say what makes them weak otherwise I’d say it, I’d constantly repeat it, but there’s nothing.
“It’s a tough game, but whatever happened last year or in any other year is just a memory, nothing else. We have to be ready for tomorrow, and that’s what we’ll try to be.
“Like I’ve said millions of times, if we can make it really uncomfortable for them, we have a chance. If they feel comfortable in their game, there’s no team that can beat them.”
Go behind the scenes at today’s training, as the Reds get ready for #MCILIV 💪
Watch now on @LFCTV GO ⤵️
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) NOVEMBER 23, 2023
