Jurgen Klopp insists he remains ‘calm’ despite Liverpool’s poor form this season.
Liverpool are eighth in the Premier League table after a disappointing campaign so far, with the Reds ten points adrift of the top four and facing an increasingly difficult task to secure Champions League qualification.
Tuesday’s goalless draw at Chelsea extended Liverpool’s winless run to three league games, in a fixture which saw Klopp make wholesale changes to his side after a 4-1 defeat at Manchester City. Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson all started on the bench, while Virgil van Dijk was absent through illness.
Klopp admits the short turnaround between games – and a poor performance at the Etihad – were behind his changes.
“We had the game against [Manchester] City which is an influence, physically and performance wise. It is both,” he told his pre-match press conference.
Van Dijk is expected to return to the side when Premier League leaders Arsenal visit Anfield on Sunday, as Klopp looks to end his side’s winless run. The German, who confirmed that Thiago is also in contention to feature this weekend, insists he remains ‘calm’ despite the club’s poor form this season.
“We had one proper session since [Chelsea]. The boys don’t show me they don’t want [to fight]. This is not the situation we are in.
“In training, I have to make decisions about the team based on what I saw in training.
“I am really calm in this moment. I am in it and see everything and base my decisions on that. In the end, we will see what the outcome is.”
