Georginio Wijnaldum has said it is essential Liverpool follow victory over Manchester City with another three points at Sunderland on Monday to increase the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Liverpool are the closest challengers to Antonio Conte’s side having moved four points ahead of City with a hard-fought win at Anfield on New Year’s Eve. Jürgen Klopp’s team, who remain six points behind the leaders, kick off at struggling Sunderland less than 44 hours after the conclusion of the City match and may be without their captain, Jordan Henderson, as well as the confirmed absentees Philippe Coutinho and Joël Matip. Henderson was withdrawn with a heel injury against Pep Guardiola’s team, although it is not the same heel that sidelined the midfielder for sustained spells last season.
Chelsea do not play until Wednesday’s awkward assignment at Tottenham Hotspur and Wijnaldum, who secured Liverpool’s win over City with an outstanding header, believes Sunderland is an opportunity for Klopp’s team to pressure the leaders by cutting the gap to three points.
The Holland international said: “You always have to put pressure on an opponent. We just have to win the game. Will it put pressure on them? I don’t know, maybe. Sunderland is a tough game as they also want to win because of the threat of relegation. Chelsea are flying right now and doing great but we have to focus on our own game and we will see if we come closer but the main thing is to keep doing what we are doing now, win our own games and not look at Chelsea because we don’t control that performance.
“We have to give 100% and show how good we are. We can go far but we have to show it game by game. It is going well now but we don’t know how it will be going in two months so we must make sure we go all the time.”
Klopp said it must be “annoying” for Chelsea to have won 13 league games in succession and find Liverpool still on their coat-tails, and Wijnaldum credited the manager for instilling in his players the belief to beat Guardiola’s expensively assembled side.
“He just gives us confidence. In my opinion he does not do a lot special, just gives us the confidence we need, the confidence in our own quality and that we are a good team,” the midfielder explained. “He spoke in the team meeting and said, ‘We have to show our quality and show them how good you are.’
“I was not here before Klopp came so I can’t give my opinion on how the football has changed but in my opinion it is great to work under the manager. He gives players a happy feeling to play for Liverpool. What he wants is that we have joy in the things we do – training, games – and that is important for a footballer.”
Wijnaldum also claimed Quincy Promes, his international team-mate, would succeed at Liverpool should Klopp develop his interest in the Spartak Moscow midfielder this month. “I think he knows how great Liverpool is, I knew it before I came here,” said the summer recruit from Newcastle United. “I don’t know if everything is true about what they say as I don’t speak with him about that. Of course I want him to come to Liverpool because I know he is a good player and also a good person who can help the team but it is something for the manager and the scouts, not for me.”
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