A spunky Jurgen Klopp cheekily promised long-standing league leaders Manchester City a \u201cproper fight\u201d for the title after his Reds pulled to within a point of their rivals. Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino scored to ensure Liverpool cleared the Arsenal hurdle at the Emirates despite not being a notch below their best. The Reds have now won a stretch of nine straight top-flight games and, after their next mission against Watford, will travel to try and beard the lions in their den at the Etihad City 10 April.<\/p>\n
With most bets on that this could be a decisive encounter, Klopp feels his players are battle-ready until the end of the season for the top spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe play City in three or four weeks and then we will give them a proper fight,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think a lot about City, that\u2019s the truth. I know the only chance we have is to win an incredible amount of games because our opponents do. In last few years we\u2019ve pushed each other on insane levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes each game a final. You can enjoy that for sure but it\u2019s intense, then comes in the physical part and you are tired.\u201d There is a sense Liverpool have the momentum required to leapfrog City but Klopp played down any idea that it could be relied on. \u201cMomentum is the most fragile flower on the planet,\u201d he said. \u201cSomeone steps on it and then it\u2019s gone. I\u2019m not a big friend of momentum. Just find a way to get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta felt his Gunners had gamely put up more than a decent figh to match Liverpool between the penalty areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom box to box in many moments I think we were the better team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Arsenal are next up away against Aston Villa on Saturday at 12.30pm aafter which they will have to stomach a similar double-header in April against Chelsea and Manchester United within 72 hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you so much to the Premier League to do that,\u201d he said, unimpressed with this week\u2019s tight turnaround.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they\u2019ve 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 \u2013 \u2018thank you so much for doing that\u2019.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, the players on Saturday they will be there, with energy. They will eat and sleep well, but thank you so much to the Premier League for putting the fixtures like this. Very, very helpful. It is not fair what they have done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arteta stated that his team have been suffering\u00a0 such conditions more than most.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is always \u2018it\u2019s BT, it\u2019s Sky, it is this, it\u2019s that\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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