It was like a boxing match

At the press conference after the draw against Manchester City, Jürgen Klopp talked about the intensity of the game and what he thinks it will take for Liverpool to win the Premier League title.

In the 2-2 match against Manchester City, Liverpool had many problems in the first half. Still, already after a minute of play in the second half, they equalized thanks to the great interplay between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané. 

The tie result makes for great excitement in the rest of the Premier League matches in the season, as Manchester City leads the league with a single point above Liverpool. Looking at the odds offered by betting sites Canada found here, Manchester City is predicted to win, but anything can still happen.  

Like a boxing match

When Jürgen Klopp met the press after the game, he was asked if he was unhappy with his team's performance in the first 45 minutes.

- I was not dissatisfied, but I knew we could do better. It wasn't like I went into the dressing room and asked what we were doing. I know how intense it is. The level of concentration required in these games is unbelievable, he said, according to Liverpoolfc.com.

- This was like a boxing match! Two heavyweights against each other, the second you let your guard down, you get a hard punch in the face, then you have to get up and try to regain control. That's what happened.

- What we said at half-time was about how we needed to defend. We needed to be braver in certain situations. When we didn't do that, we couldn't put pressure on the ball carrier, and with perfectly timed runs, they could get in behind our backline.

Pep Guardiola's reaction

Pep Guardiola shared the feeling that it was two heavyweight boxers battling it out at Etihad.

- Yes, Klopp likes these boxing matches. This was great publicity for the Premier League. Both teams wanted to win. I had a feeling we kept them alive, but it's a joy to watch Liverpool play, he told Sky Sports.

- Now we have seven games left to play, and we have to win them all, or it's over.

Guardiola was asked in a post-match interview if he had been inspired by Liverpool in his tactical choices ahead of the game. The Spaniard replied, "Yes, I like to be inspired by the best teams."

- We don't own the style of play, so it's not a problem, Klopp said when the subject was raised at his press conference.

- Who cares, City also get to hit balls in behind the backline. When you have the runs they have, I couldn't respect it more. Kevin De Bruyne... it's easy to hit the pass, but the timing of their runs wasn't bad, I must say.

- We could have done it too, but we were in the mood to play. It's cool. It's about winning games, not about what style of play you show. There were moments when they played in a way they usually don't, but I thought it was a good idea.

There are now seven rounds left in the Premier League. Like Guardiola, Klopp believes that seven wins are the key to a title challenge.

- Yes, that's probably it. Nothing has changed for us. Back in January, we knew that if we wanted to win, we needed 18 wins, and if there was any game we could tick, it was this one. We ticked it, so now we'll see.

- Now we have two huge games coming up, we have Benfica on Wednesday and City again on Saturday, and after that, the seriousness really starts. We have to be ready for our derbies.

- But it feels good. We're where we want to be, and we're close to an incredibly good team. My guys showed today that we're really, really good, and as I've said a few times, you're completely screwed without a bit of luck every now and then. That's it.

- We've been through this before. It wasn't even a point; it was a few millimetres here and against Burnley (which decided the league). The situation is what it is, and we can't do anything about it. What is required of us is basically perfection. To win seven games in a row in the Premier League is crazy.