MY ACCOUNT
Jurgen Klopp urged his Liverpool side to remain focused on the task in hand as they pursue Champions League football and forget about the drubbing of Manchester United.
A thrilling 7-0 victory at Anfield last Sunday provided another boost to Liverpool’s top-four hopes, and a victory over Bournemouth in Saturday’s early kick-off would see them temporarily leapfrog Tottenham.
Liverpool head to the south coast with last weekend’s result still at the forefront of the minds of many but Klopp made it clear past victories, no matter how emphatic, are no longer important.
“The 7-0, it was strange, it was nice and we’ll all come back in 10-15 years and watch the game, maybe tickets for another derby, and someone might be next to me and remember that once we did that, but now it’s done,” he told a press conference.
“It was important but it’s not important today. It was a good game, and we have to keep going.”
Klopp is aware Bournemouth will provide a strong challenge for his side, having taken a 2-0 lead against league leaders Arsenal last time out before a remarkable second-half comeback from the Gunners.
With relegation still a threat for the Cherries, Klopp expects the hosts to “fight like crazy”.
“The main thing is going to Bournemouth and playing a game there and not counting the points before you have them,” he added.
“The way Bournemouth play, they can be really uncomfortable for each team – everybody saw against Arsenal in the last game, how much they had to fight and stretch luck, if you want.
“We might fight for the Champions League spots – we will see how the results will be in the next few weeks – but the fight to stay in the league is as exciting. Bournemouth will fight like crazy.
“We want to go into the top four, but it’s about fully focused on Bournemouth.”
