Klopp sees small steps of Liverpool progress in Chelsea stalemate

LIVERPOOL: Jurgen Klopp said a 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Saturday is a step in the right direction for Liverpool despite the point doing little for their chances of catching the top four. Both sides remain nine points adrift of the Champions League places after a poor game that summed up their struggles this season. Chelsea had a goal scored by Kai Havertz ruled out for offside early on and there were promising flashes from new 100 million euro ($108 million) signing Mykhailo Mudryk off the bench.

But the Blues remain in 10th, without an away league win since October. Liverpool edge up to eighth, above Brentford on goal difference. But Klopp took heart from a first Premier League clean sheet since October after a 3-0 thrashing at Brighton last weekend that he described as the worst performance of his managerial career.

“For me it is clear, in this situation you have to be ready for little steps and this was a little step today,” said Klopp after his 1,000th game in charge of Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool. “That’s how it is. I expect progress and I think from the last league game it was progress, definitely, and that’s important.

“I know we have to do the good things even better and longer, in an ideal world for the full 95 or 100 minutes and then we are there. We will go in that direction, I am sure.” Klopp made sweeping changes with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold among those left on the bench. The change in personnel did little to ignite a drastically improved performance as the Reds were penned back in the first 45 minutes by a similarly out of sorts Chelsea.