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Jurgen Klopp QUESTIONS Chelsea title doubters ahead of Liverpool showdown
JURGEN KLOPP is surprised Chelsea are not seen as title contenders at this stage of the season.
Klopp confirms Mignolet to start Carabao Cup against Chelsea
Liverpool boss Klopp will go up against his counterpart Maurizio Sarri in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Liverpool lead the Premier League with six wins from six, while Chelsea dropped points for the first time this season with Sunday’s 0-0 draw at West Ham.
Sarri has talked down his side’s chances of clinching the Premier League title in his first season in England.
But Klopp has questioned why Chelsea are not seen as up with his side and Manchester City as frontrunners for the title.
I don’t know why people aren’t talking about them
“You have seen immediately the impact, he has all my respect,” the manager said of Sarri.
“I don’t know why people aren’t talking about them (being title contenders).
“This team has experience, won title already, 80 per cent twice, they know how it works.
“That is a really good, strong group.”
Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday before taking a trip to Stamford Bridge for a reverse clash in the league on Saturday.
A win for the Reds this weekend could see them open up a five-point gap at the top of the table.
But Klopp has urged his players to focus solely on Wednesday night.
“We should completely ignore the game on Saturday,” he said.
“It’s a complete coincidence we play them again, it’s a different competition.
“(The EFL Cup) is a competition we like. We showed that in my first season. It’s a difficult draw for both teams.
“It’s not a competition where it only gets less easy in the semi-finals.
“It’s a home game, floodlights, it’s a very strong (Chelsea) side.”
Games are coming thick and fast for Liverpool now, with the Reds playing Napoli in the Champions League next Wednesday, before hosting Manchester City in the league.
And Klopp, who has been critical of England’s fixture schedule in the past, remains unhappy with the rapid-fire games.
“With the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Europe... the FA must hope nobody gets through all the competitions because it’s impossible to deal with it,” he said.