Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool can prove the doubters that have written their season off wrong after snapping a four-game Premier League losing streak to win 2-0 at Sheffield United on Sunday.
The English champions’ title defence has been decimated by injuries and they face a battle just to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish.
Klopp’s men remain in sixth, but are now just two points behind fourth-placed West Ham and can leapfrog Chelsea in fifth when the Blues visit Anfield on Thursday.
“Plenty of people have written us off. That’s fine,” said Klopp. “With all the problems we have had, we’re still around the exciting places.”
Jordan Henderson has been added to Liverpool’s long-term injury list, while goalkeeper Alisson Becker was absent after he lost his father this week.
But the Championship-bound Blades proved the perfect opponents for Klopp’s men to restore some confidence as Curtis Jones’ second-half strike and Kean Bryan’s own goal got the Reds back to winning ways.
“This was about us showing we’re still there,” added Klopp.
“We play Chelsea on Thursday, we have to show it again. We have to win football games, we know that. There’s no way into the Champions League without results.”
Sheffield United are still 15 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table and manager Chris Wilder admitted his side lacked the quality to challenge even a depleted Liverpool.