Liverpool CANNOT get ahead of themselves with champions Man City up next

‘It changes the mood, definitely,’ Jurgen Klopp said after Liverpool hammered Rangers 7-1 at Ibrox. 

‘It is completely different. We usually drink a beer after away games, but it is that long [since we won away] that I will probably be drunk after one.’ 

A night where everything clicked, smiles returned to faces and an air of joviality was back in the dressing room. 

Liverpool put on an attacking clinic to dismantle Rangers 7-1 in the Champions League

Jurgen Klopp called it a 'freak' result and he is refusing to get carried away after one match

Jurgen Klopp called it a ‘freak’ result and he is refusing to get carried away after one match

But if Liverpool are to turn their season around – for the long-term and not the short – they cannot get ahead of themselves for punishing a sorry Rangers team in that second half. 

Liverpool beat them 2-0 at Anfield last week and followed that up with a 3-2 defeat away at Arsenal. They followed up a 2-1 win over Ajax with a stuttering 3-3 draw against Brighton. They followed up a 2-1 win over Newcastle with a dismal 0-0 against Everton in the Merseyside derby. 

One swallow, as they say, doesn’t make a summer. 

Klopp is spot on that there is little better preparation for facing Manchester City than hitting seven goals. 

Mohamed Salah’s confidence is sky-high after his six-minute hat-trick; club record buy Darwin Nunez found himself among the goals; Roberto Firmino’s grin is back after his brace. 

But it is, in Klopp’s words, a ‘freak’ result and for 45 minutes there was a great deal of concern that a long night was potentially in store in Glasgow, particularly when Scott Arfield put Gers ahead. 

Liverpool's issue has been failing to follow up good wins with another (Pictured: Arsenal loss)

Liverpool’s issue has been failing to follow up good wins with another (Pictured: Arsenal loss)

Of Liverpool’s 12 games in all competitions so far this season Klopp’s side have conceded the first goal in eight of them – Fulham, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Newcastle, Napoli, Brighton, Arsenal and Rangers – and it is a trend that should sound the alarm ahead of facing City.

Pep Guardiola’s side are too good to be given a head start. In the eight games Liverpool have gone behind in they have gone on to take 11 of 24 points – three wins, two draws and three defeats.  

City are unbeaten in all competitions and have only conceded the first goal twice this season – at home to Crystal Palace and Borussia Dortmund. Both times they turned those games around for wins. 

So the manner of Rangers taking the lead is something that should – and no doubt will – be scrutinised this week in training for Liverpool. 

Handing a leaky Rangers a head start is one thing, giving one to Erling Haaland and Co is a whole other level of punishment. 

‘We all know who we are welcoming on Sunday and this will be a different game,’ Klopp accepted. ‘But it’s better to go into the game feeling like we do tonight.’ 

Champions Manchester City are up next when Pep Guardiola's side go to Anfield on Sunday

Champions Manchester City are up next when Pep Guardiola’s side go to Anfield on Sunday

He added: ‘I am always ready for a change in the right direction but we will see. 

‘The best football team in the world right now is coming to Anfield on Sunday. 

‘It’s not that we come with a big mouth and say: “We are waiting.” This was for different reasons incredibly important for us.’

When defeat to Manchester United was followed up with a 9-0 routing of Bournemouth, Liverpool’s season was meant to have lift-off.  

But they have only managed back-to-back wins once so far this season – needing a stoppage time winner from Fabio Carvalho for a come-from-behind victory against Newcastle after that Bournemouth result.

The challenge now will be backing up this display at Rangers in what would be a massive statement to the rest of the league. 

Lots of talk around Klopp and his future is detracting from both the job he has done and the job he can still do with numerous world class players at his disposal. 

Liverpool dismantled Rangers, with Mohamed Salah (centre) scoring a quick-fire hat-trick

 Liverpool’s attack is scoring goals but their habit of conceding first remains a concern

Mentality is a massive part of playing under Klopp and while it has been a mixed start to the campaign, they refused to go under when level 1-1 at half-time on Wednesday night.

‘We had a really positive half-time talk,’ Klopp said. 

‘We showed the boys which spaces we could play in. In the end we needed to get clearer in the final third, which obviously worked out.’ 

One of City’s biggest strengths is in midfield, with Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne all operating at an elite level. 

Klopp’s midfield simply hasn’t been itself, not at its potential, whether that has been down to disruptions caused by injury, ageing players or simply a gradual drop off from the levels that saw them in contention for a quadruple last season.

They haven’t pressed the ball effectively all season – even in some of their wins – and coming out second best in duels for second balls remains an area of concern. 

Rangers folded in the second half and Liverpool were able to blitz them from the attack, alleviating any stress on the midfield, but similar luxuries won’t be afforded by Manchester City. 

City are ruthless - far more so than Rangers - and will punish any mistakes Klopp's side make

City are ruthless – far more so than Rangers – and will punish any mistakes Klopp’s side make

The big positive going into Sunday’s blockbuster match-up at Anfield is that Liverpool can score – a lot. 

Two or more goals in their last four games means they should not lack any self belief that they can net against City. 

Guardiola’s men are good but not bulletproof, as Crystal Palace showed in going 2-0 up at the Etihad, before they fell away to lose. 

Salah is the key, which sounds obvious as the defending Golden Boot winner but he is. 

Having not scored in the league since the 2-1 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, naturally it will have weighed on his mind. 

And so if the mood has lifted around anyone it should be Salah with his six-minute hat-trick a sign he has his mojo back – and Klopp knows it. 

‘Mo Salah? Special,’ he mused. 

It is now on the German coach to galvanise his team to make it back-to-back wins on Sunday

It is now on the German coach to galvanise his team to make it back-to-back wins on Sunday

‘Very important, the whole thing was. I can’t think of one player who didn’t have a good game. 

‘It is a freak result and we don’t make more of it than we should but it’s the best we could have asked for. 

‘I couldn’t see Mo celebrating because he was always running in the corner but you could see with Darwin that it meant the world to him. The relief is big.’

Klopp is too savvy to get too far ahead of himself as he knows the juggernaut rolling into town on Sunday. 

Back the rout of Rangers up on Sunday and Liverpool’s season can finally go up a notch. Lose and it will all begin to feel a far too familiar story.  

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