Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not interested in “bulls***” stories about the destinies of teams that spent Christmas Day top of the Premier League.
A 2-0 victory over Wolves on Friday ensured the Reds would be top of the pile on December 25, while Manchester City’s 3-2 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday kept their advantage at four points.
Only twice since the start of the 2008-09 season has the team who led the way at Christmas failed to win the title, and on both occasions it was Liverpool.
Klopp was emphatic in declaring the fact irrelevant to this year’s race and underlined that the Reds are only thinking about their next match against Newcastle United at Anfield on Boxing Day.
“I heard all these things … [about] how many times in the last years when you were first at Christmas you won the title, only Liverpool haven’t. Wow. You [the media] are afraid to say it because you think then I know it, but it’s all bulls*** stories,” the German told a news conference.
“What is it? What does it mean? It’s a different team, it’s a different time, everything was different. It’s not interesting.
“If it was not the case and Liverpool had been champions twice as well, would I then think, ‘Oh, half way through, job done’? No, of course not.
“Nothing happened so far. We don’t have to think about May. What we have to do is think about December 26 against Newcastle. Let’s try everything we have to win that game.
“After that, Arsenal is coming. You don’t have to go home, you can stay in the stadium because they’re coming. It’s a very intense time. Let’s enjoy it.”
Klopp stated he felt “nothing” after City fell to Palace and questioned why Tottenham, who thrashed Everton 6-2 on Sunday and sit six points off top, are not being included in the title discussions.
“We never think about Man City, so now we start thinking about Man City? That would be silly,” he said.
“I didn’t expect Man City would lose against Crystal Palace, of course not, but it’s clear it can happen to us and them, that’s football.
“Nothing changed. Absolutely nothing. We were always focused on the next game and that hasn’t changed since Saturday.
“In the moment when people who are not involved, but emotionally involved like friends and that, and they see City lose 3-2, all these messages come in like, ‘Wow, unbelievable…’ and I don’t even feel it, because if you’re in the job you know you still have 20-something games to play.
“Don’t think that you’ve won something before you win something, we are not children anymore. We are just in a situation.
“With all the things said and Man City, how can anybody forget Tottenham? That [beating Everton] was impressive.
“They said it themselves after the game, everybody is talking about the other two. That’s a nice situation.
“We don’t do favours for anybody, you [the media] do sometimes because you only speak and them and give Tottenham the chance to come from behind and overtake.”
