Liverpool are aiming to end Jurgen Klopp’s reign with a 20th domestic league title and Vincent Kompany believes Manchester City’s rivals are back to their best
Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes that Liverpool are back to their best.
Liverpool, who are currently leading the Premier League table, will be hosting Burnley this Saturday. They are hoping to end Jurgen Klopp’s tenure with a 20th domestic league title and will be chasing another vital three points at Anfield as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to hunt their lead down with City currently sitting two points behind their rivals with a game in hand.
But Kompany, who has had his fair share of clashes with Liverpool as a player and recently faced them as Burnley’s manager in a 2-0 defeat on Boxing Day, thinks that Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0’ is one of the best teams he has ever built.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s game, Kompany said: “If I compare the Liverpool teams I played against and the Liverpool team we’re seeing now they are there or thereabouts again. It’s not to do with the results. It’s how the team moves, the confidence they have when pressing on the front foot.”
“The players are still getting integrated, some of them (but you see) how quickly they have assimilated the ideas of the better Liverpool teams of recent times. It’s a normal part of how you turn a squad around is you evolve a little bit in how they treat possession but the key ingredients are back from what I can tell.”
Despite never winning at Anfield during his time at Manchester City, Kompany appreciates how Klopp pushed City to higher standards during their title battles.
He added: “In these types of title battles, when you’ve got three months of the season left and you know you have to win the next 15 games it means you treat wins differently. Wins are just one step, you know you’ve got another 14 to win or 13 to win.
“It seemed to be that way for a number of years. Those were my playing days, I’m a manager now and it’s different, but it definitely gets the best out of you.
With Klopp set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, Kompany also mentioned his experience when Manuel Pellegrini was leaving City, saying: “It happened to me a couple of times but it’s different everywhere so it’s difficult to say (what impact it has),” He also commented on Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Liverpool: “I can’t go and make any statements on how they’re going to finish the season. We’ll find out when we find out.”
“But also it’s not much my concern. I wish him and them, after our game, as much good fortune as they need.”
