Chelsea vs Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp refuses to call his team title challengers after impressive win at Stamford Bridge
The German is happy with his side's start but wants to keep his feet firmly on the ground
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Your support makes all the difference.Jürgen Klopp refused to say whether his Liverpool side are title contenders following their impressive 2-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Dejan Lovren’s opener and a brilliant Jordan Henderson strike from range gave the visitors a two-goal lead before half-time. Diego Costa notched from close range after the break to set up a tense finish.
Liverpool have now taken seven points from three tough trips to London, having beaten Arsenal and drawn with Tottenham Hotspur already this season.
Yet, despite their success in the capital, Klopp is not ready to label his side as challengers.
“I'm really not interested,” he said. “Someone asked me that when we won 3-1 last season against Chelsea. My answer was: 'Are you crazy?' I remember it. I learned a little bit about English (media).
“We have 10 points. That's fantastic. I'm really happy after these difficult fixtures. We know we can play good football, we're convinced about our quality. We just have to do it every week, every three days.”
Liverpool finished a lowly 8th last season, 21 points behind champions Leicester City, despite a notable improvement in the team’s style of play following Klopp’s appointment last October.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager is credited with instilling an intense work ethic and robust team spirit on Merseyside, and he believes it can be sustained over the course of the campaign.
“I've managed for 16 years and I get that asked all the time,” he said. “It's not about intensity. It's about finding a solution for the opponent.
“The most intense football is if you make a mistake and have to run in the wrong direction, as we did for their goal. We have to improve, but we don't run like crazy all the time.”
“Everyone asks me about Klopp football,” he added. “I like good football. We have to have options for everything: when we have the ball, playing; when they have the ball, defending.
“There is no kind of Klopp football. We adapt the quality to the skills of the player, and try and win a lot of games of football.”
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