"Within punching distance" - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp makes bold Premier League title race prediction

Jurgen Klopp has claimed that Liverpool are not out of the Premier League title race and are within 'punching distance'. The German had previously claimed that they could not think about the title after a poor start but has now made a U-turn in his thoughts.

Liverpool are 15 points behind league leaders Arsenal after 14 matches were played before the season was paused for the FIFA World Cup. The Reds have won just six matches in the league while losing four times.

Speaking to the media ahead of Liverpool's return to Premier League action, Klopp claimed that they are not too far from the leaders. He added that the FIFA World Cup has given confidence to a few players, and they will be raring to get back to winning ways.

He said:

"We obviously left a gap between us and the much more exciting spots in the table, but we consider ourselves in the moment within punching distance and that means we have to chase and that's what we will do. All the players who are back from the World Cup now look really on it, that's very important."

Klopp added:

"I think some of them could really gain confidence even when it probably was not that low before, but a good World Cup, like for Hendo [Jordan Henderson] for example, is for sure helpful. So we are really looking forward to what is coming up but we know it is intense. There are never guarantees out there and I can imagine at Arsenal that everybody is buzzing to go again, City you saw, they have expectations and ambitions."

---

Liverpool were ruled out of the Premier League title race in October

Jurgen Klopp ruled Liverpool out of the title race when they were beaten by Arsenal earlier this season. The German manager insisted that they were not in a situation to think about the title and had to work on getting wins.

He said:

"Yeah, not in the title race. Imagine if I would sit here and think we are nearly there. But it is always like this, in a situation like this: you can ask all the questions, but my answers, I cannot change really a lot."

Liverpool travel to Aston Villa on Boxing Day in their first Premier League match since the season was paused for the FIFA World Cup.