Jurgen Klopp gives perfect response to Pep Guardiola’s Liverpool dig and clears up Tottenham swipe

Jurgen Klopp has responded to Pep Guardiola’s comments as Liverpool’s Premier League title race with Manchester City intensified.

The Reds have lost ground in the battle for the top-flight crown and are now three points behind City.

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday before City routed Newcastle United 5-0 yesterday.

After the win, Guardiola claimed that ‘everyone in this country’ - including the media - supports Liverpool and aimed a dig that they’ve won only one Premier League title.

What’s been said

Ahead of the Reds’ trip to Aston Villa tomorrow, Klopp admitted he could understand why Guardiola made the comments in the heat of the moment.

The German made a similar swipe following the Tottenham stalemate - and knew it was wrong in hindsight.

Klopp laughed off the comments and said: “A lot of people want us to win the league but even here it’s probably 50%.

“The other people [Everton] are involved in another fight - at least until yesterday.

“As a manager after a game, we are obviously - how can I say - we are massively influenced by the game and the situation.

“I said after the game, they [Tottenham] play like they play and are still only fifth. It felt good at the moment - anyway wrong.

“It was just my feeling at the moment and I couldn’t respect Antonio (Conte, Tottenham manager) more and what he’s doing and how he organises teams.

“I don’t know the real situation of what Pep was. Getting knocked out of the Champions League, that is already difficult enough to take but, of course, Liverpool made it to the final.

“Then you have the whole thing of we played Villarreal, they played Real Madrid and all these kind of things.

“Then you say what you say - and he was right on top of that. I was right about Tottenham in fifth place and he was right, we have won the Premier League only once.

“I have no idea the whole country is supporting us. It’s not the feeling I get when we go to other places and play there. It’s actually the opposite.

“Maybe he knows more about that than me.”