Norwich head coach Daniel Farke believes Liverpool are the "best team in the world right now" TEAM NEWS

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants his team to stay "angry and greedy" as they prepare for another Premier League title challenge.

Klopp's side fell a point short of Manchester City last season and beat Tottenham to win the Champions League.

They begin this season at home to newly promoted Norwich City on Friday.

"What's very important is that as the team that won the Champions League last year, we have to stay the team nobody wants to play against," Klopp said.

"Not because of the name or the quality but the intensity.

"We have to be angry again, we have to be greedy again, we have to be all these things. That's what I will ask the boys for and that's what we have to show [against Norwich]."

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is available despite starting pre-season late because of his involvement with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Midfielder James Milner, who missed the Community Shield last weekend, has recovered from a muscle strain.

Norwich will be without injured central defenders Timm Klose and Christoph Zimmermann, along with midfielders Alex Tettey and Louis Thompson.

Josip Drmic and Patrick Roberts are among the new signings who could play.

    Can Liverpool break their second-place 'curse'? How will the promoted sides fare?

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

@Wilsonfooty: Norwich's return to the top flight after a three-season absence is certainly welcome - they are a well-run club which has always liked to produce teams to play football worth watching.

It will be a return to Anfield for Stuart Webber. Not perhaps a household name, but Webber was headhunted to Liverpool's recruitment team at the age of just 25 in 2009, and is the man who later brought David Wagner to manage Huddersfield Town and Daniel Farke to Norwich City - both notable successes who used their knowledge of the German second tier to great effect.

Like Wagner, Farke was previously the coach of Borussia Dortmund's second team. Unlike Wagner, he never worked with Jurgen Klopp - but the pair should find plenty to talk about once their teams have kicked off the 2019-20 season.

VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "The first game of the season is always difficult. Norwich have a clear plan and they have all my respect.

"These fixtures are always the banana skins. If you are not at 100%, you will slip."

Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke: "I had a little smile when I saw our first game is against Liverpool. For me, they might be the best team in the world right now.

"Our lack of Premier League experience could be a positive. Our naivety could be a good thing.

"I want my players to go out there and think about why they first started playing football. I want them to be brave and enjoy playing."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I will be at Anfield for this one, and I am expecting Liverpool to win. They have got the Super Cup on Wednesday but I am expecting Jurgen Klopp to pick a strong side.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v England netball stars Helen Housby and Jo Harten

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    Liverpool are unbeaten in the past 12 meetings (W10, D2). Norwich's last win over the Reds was by 1-0 at Anfield in the Premier League in April 1994. The last six meetings have produced 34 goals, an average of almost six goals a game. Liverpool previously hosted Norwich in the opening fixture of a top-flight campaign in 1976, winning 1-0 and going on to take the title.

Liverpool

    Liverpool ended the 2018-19 Premier League season with nine consecutive victories, and have had only four longer top-flight winning streaks. They're unbeaten at Anfield against promoted sides in 25 games (W20, D5), with Jurgen Klopp winning all 10 while he has been in charge. Roberto Firmino is two goals away from becoming the first Brazilian to score 50 Premier League goals. He scored twice in his only previous Premier League start against Norwich. Sadio Mane has scored in Liverpool's opening Premier League game in each of the past three seasons, as well as in nine of Liverpool's last 10 league fixtures at Anfield.

Norwich City

    Norwich's only defeat in 21 league matches in 2019 came away to Preston in the Championship in February (W13, D7). The Canaries have been relegated in both of their two most recent Premier League campaigns: 2013-14 and 2015-16. They have conceded 45 Premier League goals against Liverpool, more than against any other side. Norwich have won just one of their past 16 season-opening league matches (D8, L7). That was in the Championship in 2016-17, when they beat Blackburn 4-1.

Source: bbc.com

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement