Liverpool are 'not perfect' despite 22 point lead over Man City at top of Premier League, say Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp insisted Liverpool are ‘not even close to perfect’ as they stormed to a 22 point lead at the top of the Premier League.

The Reds thrashed Southampton 4-0 to move to 73 points from just 25 games as they march to their first league title in 30 years.

Klopp said his side have goalkeeper Alisson Becker to thank for the win against the Saints at Anfield.

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Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side are 22 points clear

He said: “Today, my main feeling before the game, I was concerned. I’m a very optimistic person but not before a football game. I know long enough that anything can happen.

“The ball rolls in different directions and something like this. Today, for example, Southampton had too many shots. But what Ali (Alisson) is doing with these finishes – I have no clue how he’s doing it. At the end it looks like they are not good finishes but I think they were pretty good. Just Ali was there.

“We are not perfect. Not even close to being perfect. We don’t care about not being perfect. We just try to use our skills in the best possible way. That’s what we try and the boys do that now for a little while. That’s why we have these numbers.

“It’s really special, it just feels like the hardest work and that’s why I’m happy the boys can go now for a week somewhere else and do what they have to do to come back recharged. Then we will prepare for Norwich and the rest of the season.”

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Klopp also saw the Southampton game as one where Liverpool could possibly be upset despite only dropping two points all season.

Their win also equalled Man City’s record of 20 consecutive Premier League wins at home.

Klopp said: “The attitude and mentality of these boys made it possible that we could win this game. This was a game, which looked in moments, not only tricky but it looks like, banana skin is perhaps not the right word because Southampton are too good to be a banana skin, it looked like today it would probably happen.

“The boys put a sensational shift in. Everybody went to the point and above. That makes this group really special and that’s what happened. We didn’t want to have a 22 point difference to other teams after today we wanted to have 73 points. That’s what we have and all good for the moment.

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“We had to change two or three things and most importantly we had to change the involvement of Fabinho.

“Then we started rolling but then we had the situation where Southampton wanted the penalty. I didn’t see it back yet.

“Then we had the counter-attack and Oxlade scored a sensational goal. What we did then was really good, much calmer and used Fabinho better. With this positioning we used all the midfielders better.

“We used our full backs better, had better direction and it was just a better game and in the end we won it.”

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