On the start of a big weekend for the club, here is your Liverpool morning digest for Saturday, February 26.
Pep Guardiola hits back at 'ridiculous' Man City claims after Liverpool close gap
Pep Guardiola has hit back at the 'ridiculous' claims that Manchester City had won the title back in December after Liverpool moved to within three points of his side in the table.
The Reds cut the gap between themselves and City on Wednesday night after they thrashed Leeds United 6-0 at Anfield in their game in hand.
Jurgen Klopp's side warmed up for Sunday's Carabao Cup final with an utterly dominant display that included three goals in 20 first-half minutes.
READ MORE: 'If it wasn't for Klopp' - Liverpool legend explains why Ralf Rangnick owes Reds boss
City had looked to be running away with the title back in December after Liverpool were held away by Spurs and then beaten by Leicester City at the King Power.
However, a huge swing in results has seen Liverpool jump right back into contention for the title, with the two sides scheduled to meet at the Etihad at the start of April.
“It's ridiculous I have to argue this. I'm sorry. When we were champions it wasn't in December or January," Guardiola replied via the MEN when asked if recent results were proof the league was never finished in December.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
'Just finished, done' - Jurgen Klopp opens up on 'difficult' Liverpool moment and explains overlooked problem
When Liverpool step out at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, they will be greeted by a cacophony of noise and colour from 33,000 Reds fans having made the trek to London.
It couldn’t be any further removed from events Jurgen Klopp and his players were experiencing 12 months previous.
Back then, with the globe gripped by the coronavirus pandemic and fans restricted to watching from the safety of their own homes, Liverpool were confronted by the cold chill of empty stadiums and eerie silence from the barren stands.
For Klopp, a manager who since arriving at Anfield back in October 2015 has recognised the importance of harnessing the power of Liverpool’s fanbase, it was particularly difficult, James Milner admitting earlier this month he’d noticed the Reds boss being “ground down” by such a testing time.
Now, with his team aiming to complete the first stage of a still possible quadruple by beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, Klopp has spoken candidly on how the previous campaign affected him.
“I never thought more about football, and I think a lot about football, than in this period,” he says. “How can we make it work? How can we make it so we just have a chance?
“That was really tough, while everyone was talking about the former champion and now the worst-ever defending champion. Thank you very much, that was really nice.
“Yes, it was an incredibly intense season and, yes, I was more than happy for a holiday. For the first 10 days, I didn’t take one time the phone out or whatever and ask ‘could we have this player?’.
“I couldn’t have cared less at that moment, just get through it and that is absolutely true.
“Why shouldn’t managers be different? But for all of us it was the same. We were all like really drained. Just finished. Done.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
