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Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday as “really special” as his team moved to within a point of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
A tight contest was decided by second half goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino as the Reds won their ninth league game in a row.
Mikel Arteta’s team arguably shaded the first half and came close to taking the lead just before Jota’s opener but Martin Odegaard’s effort with the goal at his mercy was somehow kept out by a diving Alisson.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Klopp was delighted with the three points and praised the way his side ground out the win.
“It’s really special,” he said. “Coming here in our situation, and their situation, and not having a brilliant first half and then turning the game in the right direction is pretty special.
“You have to be on your toes because they are a proper threat.”
Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have won more points than any other Premier League team (28 – W9 D1 L0), and are the only side yet to suffer a league defeat in 2022. In fact, Liverpool have avoided defeat in their opening 10 league games of a calendar year for the first time since 2015.
The title race is now finely poised with just one point separating City and Liverpool, with nine games to go each and the two set to face each other in April, but Klopp insists all his team can do is continue to win games.
“We have had a good period,” he added. “We are one point behind but the only thing we can do is win football games. No game is easy in this incredible league and we have to keep going.
“The only thing I’m really interested in is how we can prepare for the next game, how we can get through this. It’s so difficult – I think it’s game number 13 since we met Arsenal in the Carabao Cup. For them, it’s seven – that’s six more games for us. We don’t complain about it, we wanted it like this. Let’s see how it goes.
“In 10 years, do you think somebody will say you should be proud [of finishing second by one point]? Probably not. We know we have a special group here and we’re trying to squeeze everything we can out of the situation.”
Andrew Robertson – who registered his 50th assist in 211 games for Liverpool when he set up Firmino’s goal – believes City are still in a better position, but insists it will be a “sprint to the finish line.”
When asked if Liverpool are the team with momentum, the Scotland captain told Sky Sports: “Yeah, but they’ve got an extra point than us (laughing).
“Look, they’re a point better off. A fantastic team, one of the best in the world and they’ll obviously try and have a strong finish. That’s us done with the Premier League until after the international break [for] both teams, and then it’s a sprint to the finish line.”
Robertson has provided 10+ assists in three of his last four seasons in the Premier League, while since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, only team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold (43) has provided more assists in the competition than him (40).
“We’re in the race,” he continued. “A lot of people maybe didn’t think we were going to be [in] January but we’re definitely in the race and we just need to focus on what we’re doing and picking up as many points as possible.”
