Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists past encounters with Chelsea have no bearing on this weekend’s game between the two sides.
Title-chasing Liverpool host Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea at Anfield this weekend, in a game which has drawn comparisons to the fixture between the sides in 2014.
Five years ago under Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool looked on course to end their long wait for a Premier League title following an 11-game winning streak, when Jose Mourinho took his Chelsea side to Anfield in April.
Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip allowed Demba Ba to open the scoring, as the visitors sealed a 2-0 win and derailed Liverpool’s title hopes.
Klopp says that fixture has no bearing on this weekend’s clash, insisting the history between the sides is irrelevant.
“I’m not sure if that’s in anybody’s mind, apart from you. I didn’t think a second about it; I heard about that incident. It’s a completely new story. Things happen once in a lifetime, sometimes twice and sometimes never.
“It’s all about the game on Sunday, it has nothing to do with any games before.
“I don’t know how many Chelsea players are still involved, maybe a couple from my team. Everything changed, only the colours and names of the teams are the same, pretty much. I’m completely positive about the game, not about the result – because I know we have to work really hard for it.”
