Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he is relieved to have finally made the decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

The German’s standing at Anfield meant it was unlikely he would have ever been sacked and, having already extended his contract two years beyond the seven he served at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, there would probably have been an expectation on him to go beyond 2026.

Klopp could have gone last summer after being physically and emotionally drained by a difficult season which saw Liverpool finish fifth, but he chose to stay on in order to put things right.

With the club top of the Premier League and fighting on four fronts he has done that in remarkably quick time but even by November, the 56-year-old knew he had to get out.

“The relief was there when I made the decision for myself. I didn’t know that would be the case,” he said.

“Today it (the feeling) is mixed. I am not as emotional as I will be.

“I have to make the decision at one point, because nobody else will, because of the trust and respect we have for each other, and the owners knew I would take the decision.

“I don’t want to hang around and do the job somehow. I thought it through properly.

“I want (to win) everything this season, but it wouldn’t change my mind – and if we don’t win anything it wouldn’t change my mind.

“It’s a decision I made independent of any kind of results.”

In his first press conference as Liverpool boss in 2015 Klopp declared himself the ‘normal one’ and he maintains that is who he is despite his high profile.

He insists he has no regrets about any decisions he has taken at Liverpool, with whom he has won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup among a host of titles, but admits he has missed out on life away from football.

“I arrived here like a normal guy and I never lived that,” he added.

“It is three or four weeks in a summer which somehow is fine. Whatever will happen in the future, I don’t know now.

“I don’t know how normal life is so I have to find out.”

Klopp plans to take a year off and then see how he feels but has ruled out a return to management in England.

“Whatever will happen in the future I don’t know now, but no club, no country, for the next year, and no other English club ever,” he said.

“I can promise that, even if I have nothing to eat that will not happen.”

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso has emerged as the early favourite to succeed Klopp.

The former Liverpool midfielder insists his focus was solely on his current role and that he was in “the right place”.

Coventry boss Mark Robins described Sheffield Wednesday fans who booed Kasey Palmer during his side’s FA Cup tie at Hillsborough as “idiots” and “absolute clowns”.

Djeidi Gassama’s late equaliser salvaged Wednesday a fourth-round replay after Danish midfielder Victor Torp had marked his Coventry debut with a stunning first-half opener.

Gassama denied the Sky Blues a second win at Hillsborough inside a week after their 2-1 Championship success on Saturday, which was marred by allegations of racist abuse towards their striker Palmer during the match.

Both clubs condemned the alleged abuse earlier this week and a man was arrested on Thursday, but Palmer was booed on several occasions by a section of home fans and Robins was furious after the tie.

Robins said: “The reaction was a disgrace. People need to have a look at themselves.

“What are they doing? It’s ridiculous. It’s a joke – an absolute joke.”

Palmer, jeered after blazing a first-half chance over the crossbar, was loudly booed after being booked for his challenge on Momo Diaby in the second period and again when substituted in the 63rd minute.

Robins added: “We’re in a game where the players work really hard, they hone their talent and come out to entertain people. It shouldn’t happen.

“Kasey’s a football player with family and wants to play and enjoy his football like everyone else. Then you’ve got these idiots, absolute clowns.”

Wednesday’s Ike Ugbo hit a post and fired narrowly over soon after as his side rallied to level the tie in the second period.

But the home side were indebted to teenage goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who earned his side a replay on his senior debut with a brilliant block to deny Coventry substitute Jamie Allen in the closing stages.

Robins added: “If you can’t win, don’t lose and we will have a right go (in the replay).”

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was pleased his side had halted their slide after back-to-back league defeats and insisted the club had sent out a clear message regarding last week’s racism incident.

When asked if the booing undermined the Owls’ zero-tolerance stance, he said: “It was more important we showed last week, a clear direction from everybody, my team, from the fans, from the club side and I think the statement showed what we think about such situations.

“We cannot accept this, we will not accept this. If we see something or hear something, I think then we have to take responsibility of course. Everybody is involved and has to do something.

“But today for me it was a normal emotional football game, some hard duels about the ball, some reactions and this is football, hopefully the normal football we want.”

Mauricio Pochettino praised Emiliano Martinez after the Aston Villa goalkeeper produced a string of saves to deny his Chelsea side in their goalless FA Cup fourth-round meeting at Stamford Bridge.

Villa are five places and 12 points ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League table but there was little to separate them here, although the hosts will reflect on chances missed in the first half by Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer as a shot at settling the tie slipped away.

Martinez was the decisive actor on both occasions, spreading himself well and blocking in one-on-one situations.

John McGinn had Villa’s best opportunities, first when his clipped effort sailed inches over the bar on the stroke of half-time, then again when he stole in at the near post to meet Nicolo Zaniolo’s cross late on but guided it wide under pressure from Thiago Silva.

It is now three consecutive home games against Villa in which Chelsea have failed to score, as they struggled to capitalise on the momentum of Tuesday’s 6-1 Carabao Cup win over Middlesbrough that set up a final showdown against Liverpool at Wembley next month.

“This type of games are very even,” said Pochettino. “When you face a team like Aston Villa, always it’s difficult. We didn’t score but we created chances. I trust and believe in my players playing this way, we are going to score.

“We came from Tuesday, we scored six so today should be good. But their keeper is an amazing keeper, he’s really good. Sometimes you need some luck to score.”

Chelsea lost defender Levi Colwill to injury during the warm-up, with 20-year-old academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist drafted into the starting XI.

Pochettino confirmed Colwill’s injury is not serious and emphasised his belief in Gilchrist as a capable stand-in.

“It’s not so bad, it’s some small issue that maybe he didn’t feel comfortable,” he said. “We knew before we might not start with him. We hope he will train tomorrow.

“The most difficult thing (for young players) is to manage the stress. (Gilchrist) thought he wasn’t going to play. Sometimes with the young guys, you give the starting XI and they think too much, maybe they can’t sleep. The stress can affect them. But he got half an hour (to prepare), no time to think too much.

“The young players need time to be calm and relaxed, not to spend too much energy thinking on the game. But he was really good. He’s going to grow and be more mature in future.

“He’s showing, and we are giving the opportunity for him to build his career. It’s important for all of the academy players have ability to show they can cope with the pressure of playing for Chelsea. We’ll see if he can reach the level we expect.”

Villa boss Unai Emery reflected on a game in which side impressed with their competitive approach despite the stalemate.

“I have to accept this draw and that we will now play at home and be motivated with our supporters,” he said.

“We are going to be at Villa Park trying to enjoy this, because we showed tonight that we are competitive and we can be contenders as well for this competition.”

Pep Guardiola lauded an unbelievable performance from his Manchester City side after they ended their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium goal drought with a narrow 1-0 away win.

City had failed to score in their previous five trips to Spurs’ home and an FA Cup fourth-round replay looked on the cards when substitute Kevin De Bruyne inexplicably fired wide from 16 yards with eight minutes left.

The breakthrough did finally arrive for the visitors with 88 minutes on the clock when Guglielmo Vicario flapped at De Bruyne’s corner with Ruben Dias in close proximity and Nathan Ake poked home from close range to end the FA Cup holders barren run at Tottenham.

“Deserved it? I think so but football is about scoring, not conceding and the statistics were really good today,” Guardiola explained.

“If you see the stats from the past when we come here, we could not score and could not win.

“Yeah, we are really pleased of course to win against this team away, score a goal and go through. We defend the title and the way we play, we proved we defend it really well.

“Unbelievable. The performance was top, top class. These players prove again the reason why they have done what they have done in the past.”

City had the ball in the net after five minutes but Oscar Bobb was adjudged to be marginally offside after Vicario had thwarted Foden from close range.

Spurs barely had a kick in the first half and while Brennan Johnson was denied by Stefan Ortega at the start of the second period, it proved the hosts’ only shot all match.

Guardiola’s team continued to press for their maiden goal at Tottenham’s stadium and after Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne and substitute Jeremy Doku all failed to make the most of promising situations late on, Ake produced the goods with two minutes left.

It was a dangerous delivery from De Bruyne which caused panic in the Spurs box on only his third appearance since his lengthy lay-off following a serious hamstring injury sustained last season.

Asked if De Bruyne was fit enough to start, Guardiola said: “He is ready. Ready to play.

“Sooner or later he will play from the beginning, but it’s not just about that. For many reasons we want to protect him and Kevin, today I always knew he was going to create.

“These type of games at the end, it was a little bit more open and we had that feeling. It is important he feels good after his hamstring problem and he made an exceptional corner in the right spot. We knew it, so yeah it’s really good.”

Guardiola also reflected on the news on Friday morning that great rival Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season and dispelled any talk that he could follow suit.

“I am fine. Still one more year I want to do it and maybe extend (past 2025), so I am fine,” Guardiola insisted.

Meanwhile, opposite number Ange Postecoglou cut a frustrated figure after Spurs exited the FA Cup following a lacklustre display, which will all but ensure the club’s trophy drought will extend into a 17th year.

Postecoglou admitted: “We fought hard to stay in the game but to be honest that’s all we did, we stayed in the game.

“They’re a top team. They’re the benchmark. We’re not there yet and we’re under no illusion about that.

“I just felt that all of the second half was ok, the first half we were just too passive in a lot of our play and allowed them to get a rhythm.”

Nuno Espirito Santo believes Nottingham Forest have taken a “big step” after a goalless FA Cup draw at Bristol City produced the first clean sheet of his City Ground reign.

Forest must fit a fourth-round replay into their busy schedule after drawing 0-0 with the mid-table Sky Bet Championship side at Ashton Gate.

But boss Nuno focused on the positives after a first clean sheet in his seven games at Forest, saying: “It was a good performance with two different parts.

“The first half was not so good, the second half much better. First half we did not control our pressure, we allowed too many balls inside and they created some problems for us.

“Second half we controlled the game, we dominated and did not allow chances.

“So that’s a big step for us to have a clean sheet. Something we are constantly looking for.

“We created chances in the second half but could not finish. So let’s now go for the second leg because Bristol City is a good team.”

Forest return to Premier League action at home to Arsenal on Tuesday, in 16th place and just four points above the relegation zone.

In what had been a hectic start since replacing Steve Cooper last month, Nuno had seen his Forest side score 14 goals and concede 11 in six games.

“This will definitely help us,” said the Portuguese. “Since we arrived we have not been able to keep a clean sheet.

“Conceding goals is something that has caused too many problems for us. Every game we score two or three goals, but we are conceding too much.

“I told the boys this is our first objective in the game, defend well and keep clean sheets because we have quality and talent to solve the game.

“As a team we must always look to defend well, be compact and not allow chances.”

Bristol City had beaten West Ham in a third-round replay and Ashton Gate was packed to the rafters again in the hope of witnessing another upset.

Forest had the only two attempts on target but there was no lack of endeavour from the Robins – who are 13th in the Championship – and they did cause moments of danger.

City head coach Liam Manning said: “The lads are actually quite frustrated in the changing room, a little bit disappointed.

“I get that and I quite like that, because the intensity, the competitiveness and the bravery we showed – especially in the first half – I thought was excellent.

“We missed a bit of composure around the box, that bit of conviction and cool head you need.

“But it’s another experience ticked off with a lot of positives.

“We’ve got another game now, but it’s a great opportunity and great experience to go up there and test ourselves again.”

Nathan Ake’s 88th-minute tap-in helped Manchester City end their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hoodoo and progress into the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-0 away victory.

Pep Guardiola’s side had failed to score in their previous five visits to Spurs’ home and that unwanted record looked set to extend until Ake bundled home from close range after Guglielmo Vicario flapped at Kevin De Bruyne’s corner.

All eyes had been on De Bruyne and Tottenham playmaker James Maddison after a lacklustre first half and while the former helped break the deadlock, it was an uncharacteristic City goal that fired them to a seventh straight win.

Ange Postecoglou’s team could have little complaints and this cup loss means the club’s trophy drought will almost certainly extend into a 17th year.

These teams had played out a 3-3 draw at the Etihad last month, but both the club’s respective top goalscorers Son Heung-min and Erling Haaland were absent while playmakers Maddison and De Bruyne had to be content with a place on the bench.

City’s notoriously poor record at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was well documented and Guardiola’s side almost broke their duck in the fifth minute when Oscar Bobb tapped home on the goal line.

Bobb pounced after Vicario had denied Phil Foden from close range, but City youngster Bobb was adjudged by VAR to be marginally offside and it remained 0-0.

The visitors continued to seek a maiden goal at this venue and after Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic had efforts blocked, Guardiola let out his first sign of exasperation when Josko Gvardiol sent a cross into the stand.

Spurs had barely had a kick but were given some unexpected respite when a three-minute delay to proceedings occurred due to one of Paul Tierney’s assistant referees having an issue with his technical equipment.

When play did get back under way, normal service resumed and a succession of last-ditch defending denied City in the 41st-minute with Bobb’s left-footed strike thwarted by Pedro Porro’s block.

Foden was the next to try his luck but fired wide from Bobb’s cut back to ensure it was goalless at the break.

Micky van de Ven made a vital intervention straight after half-time when Julian Alvarez had a sight of goal before Tottenham finally caused a moment of panic for the away side.

Timo Werner sent Brennan Johnson through on goal, but City’s back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega was out quick to dive at the feet of the forward.

It reenergised the home crowd although Guardiola turned to his ace in the pack with 65 minutes on the clock when De Bruyne was introduced.

Postecoglou followed suit eight minutes later and Maddison earned a hero’s reception on his return, but his first involvement was to bundle Silva to the floor in the penalty area.

Referee Tierney waved away appeals before Spurs and in particular Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg received two slices of luck.

A Hojbjerg air kick allowed Silva a chance but he fired straight at Vicario before Tottenham’s Danish midfielder gave away possession to Foden.

Foden teed up De Bruyne, who inexplicably curled wide from 16 yards and when Vicario saved from Jeremy Doku moments later, a replay was on the cards.

Ake had other ideas and when Vicario flapped at De Bruyne’s corner, the City defender was on hand to poke home and send the holders through to the last 16.

Djeidi Gassama scored a late equaliser as Sheffield Wednesday claimed a 1-1 home draw against Coventry to earn an FA Cup fourth-round replay.

Summer signing Gassama cut inside to level with a low shot in the 84th minute after Victor Torp had marked his Coventry debut with a stunning opener on the stroke of half-time.

Coventry were denied a second win at Hillsborough inside a week after their 2-1 Championship success on Saturday, which was marred by allegations of racist abuse towards their striker Kasey Palmer during the match.

Both clubs condemned the alleged abuse earlier this week and a man was arrested on Thursday, while Palmer was booed by a section of Wednesday fans during this latest encounter between the two sides.

Coventry striker Matt Godden wasted the first real chance when he fired the ball over the crossbar from inside the penalty area in the 19th minute.

The Owls responded through Gassama’s low shot before Palmer was jeered by the home support when he blazed an effort over from close range.

Palmer had opted to start the tie after being given the choice by Sky Blues boss Mark Robins, who made six changes.

Coventry broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time as Torp announced his UK arrival in style.

There appeared little danger when City skipper Ben Sheaf laid the ball on 25 yards from goal, but Torp rifled a right-footed shot into the roof of the net.

Palmer was booed again by home fans early in the second half as he earned a booking for his challenge on Momo Diaby before Wednesday’s Ike Ugbo, making his first Owls start, twice went close to an equaliser.

His angled effort from the edge of the area struck the outside of a post and – moments later – he toe-poked a ball into the box narrowly over.

Coventry goal scorer Torp was given a rousing send-off by the visiting end when replaced by Bobby Thomas in the 62nd minute, while Palmer was loudly booed by home supporters when replaced by Jamie Allen soon after.

Wednesday pressed for an equaliser without creating clear-cut chances before Gassama rescued his side in the 84th minute.

He cut inside on the edge of the area to fire a low shot in off a post, but it took a brilliant late save from Wednesday’s debutant goalkeeper Pierce Charles as the teenager blocked Coventry substitute Jamie Allen’s fierce effort.

Chelsea were held to a lively goalless draw by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge as both sides squandered opportunities to settle their FA Cup fourth-round tie.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team had scored six in their previous outing, dispatching Middlesbrough to reach next month’s Carabao Cup final, but found Unai Emery’s Premier League high-flyers a more obdurate hurdle as a combined 23 shots from both sides failed to yield a winner.

John McGinn spurned Villa’s best chances in either half, while Emiliano Martinez twice denied Chelsea as Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer found themselves frustrated.

It was a theme of the night in west London as a replay at Villa Park beckoned.

Villa should have led after 10 minutes, Youri Tielemans with a free header from six yards out that he thumped downwards into the ground, the pace taken off the ball allowing Djordje Petrovic to save.

Visiting supporters were on their feet when Douglas Luiz tapped in from almost on the goal line, but their delight was curtailed after VAR determined the midfielder had handled as the ball deflected to him off Alfie Gilchrist.

Palmer fed Madueke who might have done better with his low finish, aimed towards the corner but instead fired against Martinez.

Palmer was then the recipient of a ludicrous gift from Clement Lenglet, the defender’s square ball easily cut out by the former Manchester City man who again found only the goalkeeper with his shot.

Madueke was next to go close, he knocked an effort from close range against the legs of Martinez after Raheem Sterling had dazzled Matty Cash on the right and fed Palmer who crossed.

With virtually the final act of the first period, Moussa Diaby raced down the right and centred for McGinn, who with a sweep of his right boot hit a curling strike that cleared the crossbar by inches.

Villa ended a run of eight straight FA Cup defeats with their third-round victory at Middlesbrough but here they were made to weather a first half in which Chelsea had the better of the chances, though as so often this campaign Pochettino’s side lacked cutting edge in front of goal.

Palmer tried to benefit from another Villa howler at the back midway through the second half.

Martinez hit a clearance with insufficient height that struck Chelsea’s top scorer, who seemed in too much of a hurry to execute the finish. Trying to catch out the backtracking goalkeeper, he missed his kick entirely, as Emery breathed a sigh of relief.

Thiago Silva flung his head at a goal-bound Luiz effort as the game started to become stretched.

Ollie Watkins took a touch and hit a fizzing drive that Petrovic beat away, then the goalkeeper made the save of the match diving low with a stunning reach to claw Cash’s left-footed piledriver from the foot of the post.

McGinn had the chance to settle it and dodge a replay four minutes from time, arriving at the near post to meet Nicolo Zaniolo’s cross at the near post. However, he got too much of a glance on the ball under pressure from Silva, as the chance and the game fizzled out.

Bristol City and Nottingham Forest fought out a goalless FA Cup draw and will replay their fourth-round tie at the City Ground.

Forest will be glad to avoid the fate West Ham suffered in the third round at Ashton Gate when the Sky Bet Championship side produced a memorable upset against Premier League opposition.

But Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will not welcome the extra game amid their battle to stay in the top flight.

Forest shaded the clearest openings during what was a pretty even affair but, in the end, had to settle for a rematch and the first clean sheet of Nuno’s seven-game reign.

City – 13th in the Championship and 17 places below Forest in the football pyramid – fielded 10 of the team that started the West Ham win, with Jason Knight replacing Joe Williams in the Robins’ midfield.

Forest were unchanged from the side that lost a five-goal Premier League thriller at Brentford last weekend.

There was heartening news on the bench as the influential Morgan Gibbs-White returned following a two-game injury lay-off, and the England Under-21 international came on at half-time to good effect.

City, roared on by another capacity crowd, began on the front foot and Tommy Conway was snuffed out twice by Andrew Omobamidele.

Conway was the hero against the Hammers, scoring in both games, but the young striker missed the target from 10 yards when unmarked, side-footing Anis Mehmeti’s cross wide.

Forest had carried little attacking threat in the opening quarter, apart from Nuno Tavares curling a free-kick in to the side-netting.

But the visitors did force the only save of the first half after 28 minutes, with Ryan Yates firing straight at Max O’Leary in the home goal.

City continued to probe but were almost caught by a swift raid moments before the interval.

Chris Wood led the breakout and fed Callum Hudson-Odoi, who pulled the ball back for the onrushing Danilo to hit the hoarding behind the goal.

Knight headed over Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s corner in first-half stoppage time, but Gibbs-White’s arrival gave Forest more fluidity when building attacks.

Gibbs-White almost made an instant impact with a header that was blocked and it was the midfielder’s lofted pass which saw Wood nod tamely at O’Leary.

City responded with Cameron Pring crossing to the far post and Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner shovelling the ball behind under pressure from Knight.

Robins substitute Sam Bell saw Murillo’s midriff get in the way of a powerful attempt, while Hudson-Odoi should have done better than find the side-netting after Gibbs-White had driven at the heart of the home defence.

When Pring ended a swift City counter-attack by rippling the side-netting and Danilo fluffed his line from a free-kick, the tie was destined to be replayed.

Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season.

In an emotional announcement, released via Liverpool's media channels on Friday, Klopp confirmed this campaign would be his last at the helm at Anfield.

Klopp, who is under contract at Liverpool until 2026, claimed he is running out of energy, and after nearly nine years in charge, he will be leaving the club as a legend.

While Liverpool will hope to round off the German's time in charge with a second Premier League title, and possibly further trophies – they are already in the EFL Cup final – the Reds will also have to face the daunting prospect of what comes next.

Regardless, Klopp is set to leave as one of the club's most successful managers. 

With the help of Opta data, we break down Klopp's time in charge.

An Anfield giant

Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish. Klopp will take pride and place among the list of great managers to have taken charge of one of England's most successful clubs.

Since replacing Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, Klopp has taken charge of 466 matches, winning 283 of those. His win percentage of 60.7 makes him the best Liverpool manager in that metric, at least as far back as Opta's records go.

Klopp has lost just 78 games, while drawing 105. His team have scored 972 goals, an average of 2.1 per match.

Not that it has always been easy. In his first season – 2015-16 – his win rate was 44.2 per cent. However, it has never dropped below 50 per cent in a single campaign since then, with the low mark coming last term (50 per cent).

Klopp is the only Liverpool manager to win each of the top-flight, European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup, and League Cup with the club, while he has five major honours as it stands, which ranks him behind only Dalglish, Paisley (both six) and the great Shankly (13).

His Liverpool side peaked between 2018 and 2020. After reaching the Champions League final in 2017-18, the Reds won their sixth European Cup the following season, before then breaking their Premier League duck in 2019-20, albeit they wrapped up that title behind closed doors. They had also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup earlier that term.

The FA Cup and EFL Cup were both won in 2022 en route to what could have been a historic quadruple.

Liverpool still have four trophies left to play for this season. They sit top of the Premier League as it stands; they will face Chelsea in the EFL Cup final; they are into the knockout stage of the Europa League and they have a home tie against Norwich City in the fourth round of the FA Cup coming up on Sunday.

Klopp's best season based purely on win percentage came in 2021-22, when Liverpool won a remarkable 73 per cent of their games in all competitions, only to fall short of pipping Manchester City to the title on the last day of the Premier League season, before losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

A European master

Klopp started as he meant to go on when it came to European football with Liverpool, leading the Reds to the Europa League final in his first season in charge.

Though they lost to Sevilla on that occasion back in 2016, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength in continental competitions. They were undone by Gareth Bale's magic and Loris Karius' error in Kyiv in 2018, but left all in Europe in their wake when they overcame Tottenham in Madrid a year later, having signed Alisson to ensure they had a top-class goalkeeper between the posts.

Liverpool were back in the showpiece match three years later. Again, it was Madrid they faced, and again Los Blancos came out on top – Vinicius Junior's goal and Thibaut Courtois' heroics enough to deny Klopp his second Champions League crown.

Klopp will not manage Liverpool again in the Champions League, meaning his 61.5 win percentage (40/65) in the competition will be maintained. His Liverpool team have scored an incredible 144 Champions League goals - an average of 2.2 per game.

Unbeaten runs, Guardiola rivalry and dominating the derby

The rivalry between Klopp's Liverpool and Pep Guardiola's Man City has been the lifeblood of the Premier League over recent seasons. 

While Liverpool are not exactly cash-strapped, they do not have the state-backed wealth that City enjoy, yet Klopp has managed to keep the Reds highly competitive – on two occasions, they have finished just one point below City with points tallies that in almost any other circumstance would have surely seen them win the title.

Since Klopp's first Premier League game, Liverpool have taken 671 points, a tally that trails only City (716), while the Reds have a positive goal difference of 367 (675 goals for, 308 goals against).

As it stands, Klopp is the Premier League's third-most successful manager based on points per game, with his 2.12 ranking behind only Alex Ferguson (2.16) and Guardiola (2.34).

His next victory in the top flight will bring up his 200th as Liverpool manager, from what will be his 318th such match in charge.

Only Guardiola (18 with City between August and December 2017) has been on a winning run as long as Klopp has in the Premier League, with Liverpool having rallied off 18 straight wins between October 2019 and February 2020. The Reds had previously gone on a 17-game winning streak between March 2019 and October 2019, a run that was ended by a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. 

Liverpool went on a 44-game unbeaten streak, meanwhile, between January 2019 and February 2020. Arsene Wenger (49 games between May 2003 and October 2004) is the only Premier League manager to have gone more successive matches without defeat.

Klopp has gone up against Guardiola on 24 occasions, making City the team Liverpool have faced the most in his time at the club. He has claimed 10 wins (41.7 per cent), lost six times and drawn eight games.

Of the four other 'big six' clubs, Chelsea rank as Klopp's least favourite, with just a 27.3 per cent win record from 22 matches (six victories). Klopp has faced Manchester United, meanwhile, on 18 occasions, winning seven times (36.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, Klopp has dominant form in the Merseyside derby. From 18 such meetings, Liverpool have lost just once to Everton, with that defeat coming at Anfield, behind closed doors, in 2021. The Reds have beaten the Toffees 11 times under Klopp (61.1 per cent).

Of the current Premier League sides, Klopp has claimed 12 victories over Bournemouth from 15 meetings, with that win percentage (80) his best against any side he has faced over six times.

Superstar Salah, fearsome front threes and flying full-backs

The story goes that Klopp was not initially in favour of signing Mohamed Salah from Roma back in 2017, but his arm was twisted by Liverpool's then-recruitment guru, Michael Edwards. If that is indeed true, then Klopp will no doubt be thrilled he was swayed to bring in the Egyptian.

Salah has scored 204 goals in 332 appearances for Liverpool, 84 goals more than any other player under Klopp (Sadio Mane – 120 goals from 269 appearances).

Only Roberto Firmino (355) has played more times for the Reds in Klopp's tenure than Salah, whose 306 starts puts him out in front. The 31-year-old has totalled up 27,037 minutes, over 2,000 more than next-best Firmino (24,903).

Salah also tops the charts for goal contributions (286), having added 82 assists on top of his strike tally.

Firmino and Mane, Salah's partners in crime in what was arguably the most feared forward line in world football, chipped in with 182 and 157 goal contributions respectively.

Meanwhile, Klopp has given more debuts to teenagers than any manager in Liverpool's history (42). One of those teenagers was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who along with Andrew Robertson, became pivotal to Klopp's heavy metal football.

The flying full-backs have been assist machines: Alexander-Arnold has created 78 goals in 298 appearances, while Robertson has crafted 63 from 275 games.

Just Firmino and Salah have played more minutes under Klopp than Alexander-Arnold (24,323) and Robertson (23,498). 

What's next?

Whoever replaces Klopp has big shoes to fill, and this might well end up being Salah's last season at Anfield too, as Saudi Pro League clubs circle.

Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann have been some early names touted around, but until the end of May, it will be all about the Kop bidding goodbye to Klopp.

He deserves a hero's farewell.

Erik ten Hag says financial fair play restrictions will prevent Manchester United from acting in the January transfer window to fill the “gap” in attack left by Anthony Martial’s extended absence.

This has been a quiet month across the board and the Red Devils have focused on streamlining the squad rather than bolstering it.

Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal Mejbri are among those to have left on loan, with United always expected to do little to nothing in terms of signings.

And not even the fact that Martial has been ruled out until April after undergoing surgery on a groin injury is likely to change things due to Premier League profit and sustainability rules.

“I looked but there is no space,” United boss Ten Hag said. “No space on FFP to do something about this lack of quantity in the striker position.

“Of course, we have (Marcus) Rashford who can play as a striker, I think also we have some other alternatives, creative.

“It’s clear now Anthony is out for a couple of months. It’s a gap in our squad. Clear.”

Ten Hag was speaking to the media for the first time in a fortnight – a period in which United raised eyebrows by coaxing Omar Berrada from rivals Manchester City as their new chief executive.

The move was driven by Ineos as British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe prepares to become minority owner and take control of football operations at United, where there is a renewed drive to improve across the board.

“It gives spirit in this whole club,” Ten Hag said of the impact felt even before Ratcliffe’s deal is given the green light.

“Everyone notices that this club is going into a period of changes but it’s because we want to achieve high targets, so standards have to change.

“We started with this one-and-a-half-years ago, but I’m sure Ineos and me are very aligned on this.

“We understand we have to change, and we started that process last season with the dressing room.

“But also many departments so I am very happy that I get support.

“That also other departments has to raise the standards, to collaborate more and Ineos can have a big impact on that.”

The long-term prospects look brighter but United’s immediate attention is on keeping their FA Cup hopes alive in a fourth-round tie at Newport.

It is the only competition the Red Devils can win this season and Sunday’s game will see summer signing Altay Bayindir finally make his debut between the sticks.

“Yeah, he will be in the goal,” Ten Hag said of the former Fenerbahce goalkeeper.

“I think it’s clear what we can expect from him. He waited for his chances but he is experienced.

“He played in a big club in Turkey under big pressure, so he knows how to deal with it.

“We were all very convinced when we brought him into this club. It’s not a decision from one man.

“We’re looking forward to Sunday. Altay, very motivated of course and he can’t wait for this moment.”

Eddie Howe has admitted that star midfielder Joelinton could be sold this summer as Newcastle wrestle with financial restrictions.

The Magpies have spent the last week resisting overtures from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich for England full-back Kieran Trippier, while strikers Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron have also been linked with moves away from Tyneside after chief executive Darren Eales revealed that the club might have to trade players to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules.

Negotiations over a contract extension for Joelinton, who has 18 months remaining on his existing deal, have stalled, prompting suggestions the £40million Brazilian may have played his last game for the club after undergoing surgery which will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Asked if that could prove the case, head coach Howe replied: “I’m not a fortune-teller and I certainly hope that is not the case. There is a possibility that could be the case, but I don’t know.

“Eighteen months [left on a contract] is a vulnerable time for a club. The club will need to tie Joe down to a longer-term contract or there is a possibility he will be sold in the summer. That is just the reality of the situation.”

However, Howe added: “As his manager, I’m determined for him to stay. I love him as a person and a player, so that would be my wish, for him to sign a long-term contract.

“But of course there’s more to it than that. There’s Joe’s wishes and what he wants. Before he signs a contract he has to be entirely happy with everything. We’re not at that stage yet.”

Howe would have much preferred to have spent his club’s mid-winter break fully concentrating on Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round trip to Fulham, but in the event, found himself fending off approaches for players he regards as key components of his squad.

To his relief – to date, at least – the club’s owners, who met in Alnwick on Thursday evening to discuss the way forward – have resisted moves for England duo Trippier and Wilson, while Paraguay international Almiron’s situation remains similarly unchanged.

Trippier’s future in particular has been under scrutiny with Bayern having tabled a a loan bid and two cash offers before apparently abandoning their interest after receiving no encouragement.

Howe said: “We’ve had a lot of conversations in the last week and it’s always been about Newcastle, and I think it was very important that I made that clear and got that out there to everybody, that his commitment to Newcastle shouldn’t be questioned.”

On Wilson, who was wanted on loan by Atletico Madrid and has since been linked with Chelsea and West Ham despite currently being out of action with a calf injury, he added: “When you look, we have two strikers and one of them is injured, so we have one fit striker. It doesn’t make sense.”

Howe, who confirmed Newcastle had ended their interest in a loan deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips for “financial reasons”, also admitted the club is not close to making a signing this month and may ultimately do no business despite Joelinton’s unavailability.

Ange Postecoglou has praised Tottenham vice-captain Cristian Romero for stepping up in Son Heung-min’s absence.

Spurs are without current skipper Son due to his international commitments with South Korea and Romero is set to wear the armband again in Friday’s FA Cup tie with Manchester City.

Romero was captain for the 2-2 draw at Manchester United two weeks ago and Postecoglou talked up his growing leadership qualities.

He said: “There’s definitely a void there but with all these things there’s definitely opportunities. That’s where Romero has really stepped up.

“You just feel it around the place. He knows that Sonny’s not here and he knows what Sonny does on a daily basis.

“Sonny gets around everyone in the building and says, ‘how you going?’ and Cristian’s doing that now. I can see that. In training he’s a lot more vocal than he was in the past. That’s the beauty of it.

“There is a void because you’re missing one of your leaders, but for me, on the outside, you’re kind of waiting on, ‘is anyone going to step up here because we’re going to need someone to or do I need to interject myself into it?’ But he’s stepped up.

“There’s been others too, Vic (Guglielmo Vicario) in goal, he’s stepped up.”

Postecoglou watched his team endure a horrid November period where they were hit with a string of absentees.

Spurs were able to regroup during December and while they remain without Son, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma due to the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively, the Australian feels the adversity has accelerated the growth of his young group in his debut campaign in charge.

“There’s a really good feeling amongst the group at the moment over where they’re at,” Postecoglou added.

“They understand that because of what we’ve been through, ‘OK, somebody’s missing, man down, but somebody fills that void and we keep going until they come back’. I think it’s been good for the growth of the team.

“This year for me is about growth. You don’t want to orchestrate these scenarios where we get challenged and have players missing, but the fact that we’ve gone through it, I just think has accelerated our growth.

“We could have flown through this first half of the year and I’m sure all the questions to me would’ve been, ‘what happens when there’s a hiccup?’ and I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question.

“I’d bluff my way through it but I wouldn’t have been able to really answer it.

“But I already know, I’ve seen the resilience and part of that is how I’ve dealt with those absences.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is confident Kieran Trippier will stay with the club after they resisted Bayern Munich’s attempts to prise him away.

The 33-year-old England full-back was the subject of three separate offers from the Bundesliga champions earlier this week, all of which were rejected by the Magpies.

Howe, who has also seen strikers Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron linked with moves away from Tyneside before next Thursday’s transfer deadline, insisted Trippier – the first man signed by the club’s new owners following their takeover in October 2021 – never wanted to leave.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round trip to Fulham, he said: “We obviously hope he’ll stay – and I’m very confident he will – and be part of our long-term future, but I have to make it clear that he’s never asked to leave or even questioned his future here. He’s always been fully committed.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations in the last week and it’s always been about Newcastle, and I think it was very important that I made that clear and got that out there to everybody, that his commitment to Newcastle shouldn’t be questioned.”

Bayern said they had ended their pursuit on Wednesday evening after being given no encouragement, and asked if he considered the matter over, Howe added: “His situation is finished as far as everyone is concerned, Kieran, myself.

“I’ve just been in football long enough to never ever say 100 per cent because I don’t want to look stupid, but Kieran is 100 per cent committed and we definitely want to keep him.”

Wilson has been linked with a series of clubs this week after chief executive Darren Eales admitted the club would have to trade players in future windows in order to comply with spending restrictions.

But Howe said: “In every conversation that I’ve had with Callum – very similar to Kieran – he’s 100 per cent committed to Newcastle. No part of him is looking elsewhere.

“He wants to come back and score goals, he’s got big ambitions for the second half of the season and we want to keep him here.

“Obviously some things are out of my control and of course the club is acting within the long-term interests of the club and has to, and I understand that and am fully supportive of it, so let’s see what happens.”

Liverpool loanee Adam Lewis has been flooded with messages to send Manchester United out of the FA Cup at Newport and says he has been in contact with “good mate” Mason Mount about it.

Left-back Lewis is in his second temporary spell at League Two Newport and will be thrust into the spotlight on Sunday when United make their first trip to Rodney Parade for a fourth round tie.

Ever since Newport eased past Eastleigh in their third-round replay, Lewis says his phone has not stopped pinging with messages from his native Merseyside insisting Liverpool’s bitter rivals are dumped out of the cup.

“I’ve had tons of messages this week saying ‘Get stuck into them’ and make sure you win,” said the 24-year-old, who has had previous loan spells at Livingston, Plymouth and Amiens in France.

“I’m just waiting for one off the boss (Jurgen Klopp) now, he might drop me one hopefully before Sunday.

“I’ve played with (United midfielder) Mason Mount a lot at international level with England, from the under-16s through to the under-19s.

“He’s a good mate of mine and I spoke to him the other day to see if he was playing. I was trying to get some inside information, but he wasn’t giving me any.”

Lewis grew up in Walton close to Liverpool’s home Anfield and chose to join his boyhood heroes over neighbours Everton at the age of six.

He played in the same Croxteth Park Sunday League team and went to the same Rainhill High School as Trent Alexander-Arnold – “I always knew he was going to be a player, being captain of the Under-18s when he was about 15 or 16 says it all” – and made his way through the various youth groups at Anfield.

Lewis is certainty no stranger to Liverpool-United games and the intensity the fixture brings.

He said: “It was always good to beat them because even at youth level that rivalry is always there.

“I remember when Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were playing for Liverpool and the tackles they were throwing in.

“It just works its way down from the first team – and you feel you want to be like that.

“To play against them professionally when it matters is more important. United are one of the biggest teams in the world, even though I hate to say that, but you’ve got to believe you can win.

“It’s the FA Cup for a reason and there’s always upsets. Look at how far Grimsby got last year.”

Whatever happens at Rodney Parade, Lewis is hoping to make one trip to Wembley this season after Liverpool reached next month’s Carabao Cup final.

“I was part of pre-season and there with the team when we got beat on penalties in the Community Shield by Manchester City (in 2019),” said Lewis.

“I haven’t been to a game for some while now because I’ve been down in Newport. But it would be great to get there and see us win another trophy.”