Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers: We're title contenders even if Arsenal beat us on Saturday
Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers: We're title contenders even if Arsenal beat us on Saturday
Reds' manager confident they CAN win at the Emirates but is sure it won't be game over if the leaders come out on top
"Can we win? Absolutely" Bullish Brendan Rodgers is off to face the Arsenal
Alex Livesey
Brendan Rodgers will send his Liverpool side into their top of table clash at Arsenal this weekend declaring: “We’ve earned the right to be there”. The Reds' boss is quietly confident his team can defeat the leaders on their own turf and scale the summit of the Premier League.
But no matter what the outcome on Saturday evening, he believes they are now genuine contenders.
It
has been four seasons since Liverpool last finished in the top four,
but the Irishman is convinced they have shown sufficient quality this
season to mix it with the big boys.
He said: “The Arsenal game
won’t be the be all and end all in terms of making the top four, but
what we have shown is that we will be in the conversation.
“We
have started the season as we would have wanted - strong. We are putting
a marker down that we’re going to be consistent, and I think we can
only get better and improve.
“So this is a good benchmark for us. We’ve shown we have quality in the team and a winning mentality, which is important.”
For many, Arsenal vs Liverpool is a surprise as the bill-topping game of the season so far.
Neither club was expected to set such a strong pace from the gun, but both have continued to improve as the weeks have passed.
Liverpool’s challenge has been underpinned by the remarkable form of their strikers, and it is the potency of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez that makes Rodgers confident his team can go to the Emirates and maintain their winning streak.
“I
believe we are in a good moment. We are putting a marker down that
we’re going to be consistent, because we’ve played very well,” he
explained.
“I think we can only get better and improve. We have a
lot of young players who are still developing and improving and that
goes for the front two. Everyone talks about Daniel being improving at
24 all the time.
“And Luis Suarez everyone talks about his goals
and his workrate but I’ve seen an improvement in his footballing ability
and his maturity this year.
“So that bodes well for us. We won’t
get carried away. We have to keep our concentration and continue to work
hard, but we are looking forward to Arsenal. A tough game, away from
home.
"Can we win? Absolutely we can.
“We are fighting to be up there and what we’ve shown early season so far, we’ve got a chance.”
Liverpool’s owners were celebrating on Thursday after their Boston Red Sox baseball team won the World Series. Over to you, Brendan! Title glory for John Henry and Tom Werner's baseball team
And while Rodgers is cautious of predicting a similar triumph
for his side, he admits the long term aim is to eventually be league
champions.
“To win like the Red Sox - it’ll be straightforward, won’t it!” he joked.
“In baseball it’s totally different. I think everyone’s aware it takes that bit longer in this form.
“I
think you have to give big congratulations to the owners, they are
trying to do it in a way here which is sensible whilst recognising the
expectancy here which is to succeed.
“For us that is the longer
term aim. We want to be challenging and winning trophies here. That’s
what Liverpool is about and there is never any shying away from that.”
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