Liverpool are up against their biggest challenge of the season this weekend, as the Reds take on Manchester City in the Premier League.
Fortunately, we are at Anfield for our first meeting so we do have that as an advantage – if you can even consider that as an advantage, mind.
But despite the tall order of having City come to town, manager Jurgen Klopp is calling for his players to go out to win the game.
You know the drill – you’re in the pub or a restaurant and someone brings up the game, and someone says “well as long as we won’t lose, we’re alright” – yeah Klopp would punch that man.
“For me, it’s a 100 per cent want-to-win game, 100 per cent with all I have,” Klopp told Sky Sports (as per Tribuna). “For us, as a team, to prepare a game like this, you have to do the right things again and again and again. So knowing everything in the game, being brave, playing football, defending for your lives, all that stuff.
“Around has not a real effect on us, that’s how it is. I can imagine it’s the whole week [with] how the whole world is talking about we must not lose, I think I heard, and they must win or something like that. I don’t really care.
“We want to win and we try everything to make that happen, which is difficult enough. Then after that we will see how the situation is and use that situation. If it’s more positive than now or less positive than now, that’s how it is. The season will not stop after this.
“But we know that it’s a big one. The whole world is watching the game, I would 100 per cent, everybody I know will, so it’s a massive one. I’m really looking forward to it, but the discussions around I’m not part of.”
This is a fantastic outlook for the Reds’ boss to have ahead of the massive game at the weekend – a win at Anfield is a potential six pointer in this title race with City.