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Liverpool have been given one of the toughest starts to a Premier League season, with the awkward opening game against Leeds followed by Sunday’s trip to Chelsea and then a visit from Arsenal, but Jürgen Klopp laughed when he was asked if he would have preferred a smoother presentation. to his first defense of the title.
“Can you provide the names of the teams that would have given us an easy start?” he answered. “I never really knew that would happen in this league. I agree that what they have given us is difficult, but I can’t say I thought about it too much. Pretty much any team you run into in the Premier League can cause you a problem. “
Anyway, Klopp’s smile was full of light with the signing of Thiago Alcântara in the bag: “He is an absolutely exceptional player and it did not take much convincing, he is very excited to come here”, and the coach was equally optimistic . Mo Salah’s hat-trick to kick off the new season. The Egyptian’s three goals against Leeds brought him to 97 with Liverpool and it is conceivable, although another laugh from Klopp indicated that he considered it unlikely, that he could advance the century against his former club.
Chelsea gave Salah his first shot at English football, but there is no doubt that Liverpool have seen the best of him. Many thought he might have a hard time repeating his extraordinary first season at Anfield, which in terms of scoring has proven to be the case. However, Salah’s level of performance has remained constant and approaching 100 goals in a fraction over three seasons tells its own story.
“Where else can you find a forward with those kinds of numbers?” Klopp asked. Robert Lewandowski or Ian Rush, perhaps, although unlike those two players, Salah operates as an imaginary winger, helping to create opportunities for others rather than just concentrating on shooting.
“His work rate is exceptional, he’s a super professional,” Klopp said admiringly. “Two of his goals against Leeds were penalties, and if you saw it in a newspaper you might assume it was not an outstanding performance or an outstanding hat-trick, but if you watched the match, you would appreciate it being a triple goal performance.
“The fans know exactly how important he is to us, everyone can see that he is having a hard time, but I also see him between games, how dedicated he is and how hard he works to improve. All players will do what you tell them to do, but some can see it for themselves, and Mo is one of them.
“He got the reward for the goal against Leeds, but sometimes this season it will be Sadio Mané or Bobby Firmino. We are very lucky to have those three players because every week at least one of them will deliver. They work hard for each other because they respect each other, everyone appreciates what others can do for them. “
Chelsea have been among the biggest spenders of the summer, adding two players Klopp knows particularly well in Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. “They have lost a couple of players, but they have signed some very good players,” said the Liverpool manager. “I hope they do well, but I always hope so.
“I have been in England for five years and Chelsea v Liverpool is always seen as a top game. Chelsea is always difficult to play because they have very good players, and those who have just signed are top quality.
“You can’t start talking about titles and final positions at this early stage of the season, but Chelsea obviously want to improve on their fourth place last time. Their transfer activity shows their ambition, and if they finished fourth last season, there’s only one direction to go from there. Usually we know quite a bit about Chelsea from past games, but Frank has so many options that it’s hard to predict how they will line up. “
Klopp is not particularly surprised to see more and more German players arriving in England. “It’s not really new, Mesut Özil came years ago and Michael Ballack before him,” he said. “The Bundesliga has a good level of football, even if it is dominated by one team, and because some good decisions were made several years ago, there will always be good players in the German system.
“The Premier League is obviously the league with the most money, so it is naturally attractive. Also, most Germans speak English, so it is like a natural home for them. The Bundesliga is a good league for English clubs, provided they are willing to pay the transfer fees. “
