‘It’s intense’ – Klopp likens Liverpool’s momentum to ‘most fragile flower’

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that his side’s momentum can be lost at any time following their victory over Arsenal.

Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino netted in the second half as Liverpool won 2-0 at the Emirates. This came after Man City drew 0-0 against Crystal Palace on Monday night.

A single point now separates Liverpool and Man City in the Premier League table. They face off at the Etihad on April 10 in what could be a title decider.

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While Liverpool are now the division’s in-form team, Klopp is cautious about putting too much faith in momentum leading the charge to a second championship in three years.

“Momentum is the most fragile flower on the planet,” he said.

“If someone walks on it, then you have to work to get the momentum back and just get through it.

“A rhythm is good but a rhythm is playing every four days, three days, it is a rhythm but it is an intense one, we are not complaining, we want to be in all competitions. It is fine but the opponents are all quality and they are really different.

“We constantly travel, we go here, we go there. I don’t complain, we don’t complain, it is just how it us. You wake up in a different hotel and someone tells you where the restaurant is and you try and remember the number of your room.”

While Klopp would not complain about the amount of fixtures Liverpool face as they compete for the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, having already won the Carabao Cup, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was less happy.

The Gunners must now look to bounce back from a setback to their own recent good form which has seen them become favourites for a top-four finish.

They travel to face Aston Villa in Saturday’s early kick-off, a sequence which is repeated next month when they face Chelsea on Wednesday, April 20 and host Manchester United at 12:30 just three days later.

“Thank you so much to the Premier League to do that,” said Arteta, who confirmed the club had raised the issue with the Premier League.

“And they’ve done it again when we have to play Chelsea and Manchester United. So if they want to give them any advantage, I say to them today: ‘Thank you so much for doing that’.

“Don’t worry the players on Saturday they will be there, with energy. They will eat, sleep well, but thank you so much to the Premier League for putting the fixtures like this. Very, very helpful.

“It is not fair. It is not fair what they have done. It is always ‘it’s BT, it’s Sky, it is this, it’s that’ – but the one that is affected is Arsenal and the only thing that I care (about) and we care (about) is Arsenal. And for Arsenal it is not fair.”

The Gunners will be aiming to regain the sort of form which has seen them compete for a return to the Champions League, but for Liverpool Klopp is keen to not put any focus on City ahead of their showdown meeting.

I really don’t think a lot about City, that is the truth,” he added.

“I know the only chance we have is to win an insane amount of football games because our opponents win an incredible amount of football games. The last few years, we have pushed each other to insane levels. It makes each game harder, you can enjoy that but you need to be ready for the intensity.

“I don’t think it is a problem for a human being every three days to be focused on what you do, but then comes in the physical part. We don’t fight City, we play City in three or four weeks and we will give them a proper fight then but apart from that we are in a good moment, in a good mood but we know the only way we can do it is to dig really deep.”