Here are your Liverpool morning headlines for Sunday, 5 July.
Villa should help Reds get back on track
Following their 4-0 defeat by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium earlier this week, Liverpool will be looking to bounce back immediately with a win over Aston Villa.
Dean Smith’s side face Jürgen Klopp’s title winners at Anfield with relegation a distinct possibility this term.
Villa possess the league’s leakiest defence and could inadvertently give the Reds a boost by shipping a handful of goals.
Liverpool are still on course for a centurion’s finish, with Manchester City’s record points tally of 100 capable of being beaten by the end of this season.
Smith’s men concede on average nearly two goals per game in the league, and considering Liverpool boast the Premier League’s second-best attack, it is likely we will see them slay the Villans.
The Echo report that Villa also concede the most shots per game in the division, indicating they are far from just unlucky to have such poor defensive numbers.
Klopp backs Man City for Champions League
Liverpool manager and current European champion Jürgen Klopp has backed Manchester City to be crowned kings of the continent this season.
Klopp regards City as one of the favourites to lift this season’s Champions League trophy, along with his old foes Bayern Munich.
"The competition will be really interesting as it's completely new. But when you see the Man City squad - and I've said before that everyone needs luck - if you want to win the Champions League, you should have your best line-up ready for the final if that's possible,” Klopp said .
In commending City’s squad depth, Klopp also emphasised the need for a small slice of luck to go their way.
He referenced Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat by Guardiola’s men, suggesting the Reds should have had three goals of their own on the balance of the chances created.
The German believes if City can be “perfect in decisive moments” , they will stand a chance of winning the tournament next month.
Academy star signs long-term contract
Liverpool teenager and academy product Curtis Jones has put pen to paper on a brand new contract running until 2025.
The 19-year-old has appeared for Klopp’s team on a handful of occasions this season, including twice in the league.
The most memorable moment of his Liverpool career to date came in the FA Cup victory over Everton, when he scored an outstanding long-range strike to give Liverpool the lead.
Jones has been with the club since he was nine years old and described signing his new deal as “massive.”
“It's my boyhood club and it's the whole of my family's club as well, so for me it's huge,” he told LiverpoolFC.com .
“I think the environment and stuff is all positive and keeps me as positive as I can. Of course, we're working with a great manager and around the best team in the world, so for me it was easy and I'm extremely proud."
