Klopp sees Chelsea, Arsenal in EPL title hunt

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp said he was not excluding Chelsea or Arsenal from English Premier League (EPL) title contention despite trailing the Reds by 11 points in the standings.

Liverpool is set to end the first round of the 2018-2019 EPL season atop the standings since it has a four-point advantage over second-place Manchester City, with one match to go before the second round, reports Efe.

"Nobody should feel safe," the German coach said in a press conference on Monday, two days before taking on Newcastle in matchday 19.

"I saw the game against Everton -- who played absolutely more than OK -- and then they (Spurs) hit pretty much everything and it was really impressive how Tottenham did," Klopp said, referring to the Spurs' 6-2 win over Everton.

"The same will happen to Arsenal and Chelsea."

"For me, they (Tottenham) were never out, so why should people be surprised they are now in?" Klopp said in response to Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino, who picked Liverpool and the Citizens as the favorites to clinch the title," he added.

"A lot of teams are in whatever you call the title race, and that is how it should be."

Liverpool appears on its way to sealing the title as it has secured the trophy eight times out of 10 when it was atop the standings by Christmas.

They saw their bid for the English Premier League title fall short despite leading the league at that time of year in the 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 seasons.

--IANS

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