Jurgen Klopp urges Liverpool to ignore Manchester City and explains full-time spat with Sadio Mane after Chelsea tie

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Jurgen Klopp has admitted that the clubs chasing Manchester City can't afford to become distracted by focussing on the unbeaten Premier League leaders and must instead set their own goals to prevent themselves being overwhelmed by the size of the task.

City could be eight points clear at the top of the table if they win today with Chelsea and Liverpool potentially eleven and fourteen points behind Pep Guardiola's team, with just over one third of the season gone, after the two clubs fought out a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

And Klopp insist that Liverpool have to stay focussed on the clubs in their immediate sights rather than looking to the leaders. 'In our situation, if we and all the other clubs would really think about Manchester City we would be all really crazy. 

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool must stop looking at Manchester City and focus on themselves

'How could we get Manchester City? This isn't how it works. Ok, we have to win games but if they go on winning their games, we can do whatever we want.

'It's really important in life to have your own targets and then you can be a happy person and a happy person can stay a confident person who can reach a lot. Maybe it's Man City and I've no idea I'm not interested.

'I didn't think a second about Man City during the game. What I thought was that we really should have won. And then we would have three points more. That would have been nice and closer to Tottenham.'

And Klopp insist that though Liverpool need to improve he saw enough in the performance to be encouraged. 

'The position is still okay but we have to improve,' he said. 'We can do better but the boys did well. After performance like tonight, should not be taken for granted. It's so difficult. A lot of things could have happened. The boys did really well so I am happy about that but not happy about the result.'

Klopp also attempted to play down a reported spat with star player Sadio Mane, who was dropped to the bench following his exploits in Sevilla. 

The German manager also attempted to play down an apparent spat with Sadio Mane

The star player appeared to be irked following the conclusion of the match against Chelsea

A furious Mane appeared to exchange angry words with Klopp on the pitch at Anfield after the final whistle. He was eventually introduced as an 89th-minute substitute for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

But the German claimed there was nothing sinister behind the argument, which related more to what position he wanted Mane to play in the dying stages.

'He was not happy. He said to me Mo wanted to come into the position, but Mo had already 90 minutes in his legs,' Klopp said.

'I was shouting at him (Mane) but because he was in the centre. But no player is happy about that, you come on the pitch for three minutes and you feel like you have already 150 minutes in your legs.

'So it made more sense Sadio was close to the right wing and start the game from this position.

'It's not a big thing. He could have done it in the dressing room and it would have been the same thing. So everything is sorted immediately and that's it.' 

Klopp claimed his grievance was to do with tactics rather than being left on the bench