sport news Jurgen Klopp says Premier League would be boring if Liverpool couldn't keep up ... trends now

Liverpool fans have a reputation for making banners and the latest one to gain prominence bears three simple words: imagine being us.

Jurgen Klopp, however, found himself putting a twist on that message on Monday, as he dealt with the fallout from Pep Guardiola's Sunday snipe. If, as the Manchester City manager claimed, everyone 'wants Liverpool to win', the German was entitled to ask: imagine life without us?

Guardiola doesn't often find himself in positions where a title race is undecided with three games to play. When he wins, he tends to dominate — three Bundesligas with Bayern Munich were landed by a minimum of 10 points, two of his three Premier Leagues with City were won by double figures.

But here are Liverpool, still snapping away. Yes, they are three points behind and yes, Monday evening's trip to Aston Villa has the potential to come with huge headaches, not least as the home fans will create an atmosphere that shows they have no affinity for Klopp's team whatsoever.

'I live in Liverpool so, yes, here a lot of people want us to win the league — that's true,' said Klopp. 'But even here it's probably only 50 per cent because the other people (Evertonians) were involved in another fight, at least until yesterday (at Leicester).

'I have no idea if the whole country is supporting us, I don't know that. It is not the feeling I get when we go to other places and play there… it is actually the opposite! But maybe he knows more about that than me.'

Perhaps, then, Guardiola's irritation could be viewed as a backhanded compliment? He wouldn't have brought Liverpool into the conversation if he wasn't worried, he wouldn't have mentioned them if things were all going City's way and they were out on their own.

Yet what would we be talking about if this battle wasn't taking place? Klopp had empathy for his counterpart, as he understands better than most how things can get said in the heat of the moment after a game. What it told him more than anything, though, is that the race is very much on.

'I think we could take it as a backhanded compliment — if he means it,' said Klopp, whose demeanour was bubbly yesterday lunchtime. 'Imagine how the situation would be if

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