Liverpool next head to Aston Villa for their Premier League fixture at Villa Park, following the Merseyside club’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, which essentially gave Manchester City the reins to the league after a hot contest. 

The Reds are a close second and according to German coach Jurgen Klopp, they face a “tough” test in Aston Villa, managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. 

Klopp insisted that the tie with Antonio Conte’s side would not weigh on the team’s mind as they prepare for the upcoming clash. “First and foremost, [I said] we should stop behaving like it is a funeral”, the 54-year-old noted, as per Birmingham Mail. 

Also Read | Guardiola takes snide swipes at Liverpool as PL title race boils over

The Liverpool manager continued, “In my life much worse things happen. If we would have won it wouldn’t increase the possibility we win against Aston Villa, so that is how it is.” He further said, “We will go there, we will prepare and we will try. The only chance we have for things to go our way is to win now.” 

While Liverpool have fared better than Villa in the head to head clashes, walking away with 20 PL victories out of 25 matchups, the Merseyside club is bound to remember the 2020 thrashing where Dean Smith’s side beat the champions 7-2. In the upcoming match, the Anfield team will also face an ex-teammate, the Brazilian magician Philippe Coutinho, who didn’t do too well at Barcelona or Bayern Munich but has been hailed as a hero at Aston Villa. 

Also Read | Will Cristiano Ronaldo remain at Manchester United? David Beckham hopes so

Klopp highlighted Liverpool’s problem might be the pressure of catching up to Pep Guardiola’s side, saying “I would love to sit here and say: ‘Yes! City will drop points!’ We will see what happens.”

He added, “My problem in this moment… is that we play Tuesday against Aston Villa, which is tough”, concluding “We have to deal with it and we will.”