Jurgen Klopp Says Liverpool Expecting a 'Thunderstorm' Against Manchester City

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has warned his players to expect a "thunderstorm" when they take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday. 

Klopp recalled the Reds' most recent trip there, in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg in April. Liverpool brought a 3-0 lead from Anfield with them and went on to win the match 2-1, but not before Gabriel Jesus sparked hopes of a comeback with his goal after two minutes.

Per Goal, Klopp said:

"It was a thunderstorm. They said before the game they could come back from 3-0 down and everyone knew they could—we did as well.

"I think we should [prepare for another thunderstorm]. It will be a very intense game; it's unbelievable how obvious their desire is.

"Last season they got 100 points and people said 'how can they do that again?' They're ruthless, full of desire, greedy. December wasn't their month, but now it's January."

Liverpool come into Thursday's clash with a seven-point lead over third-place City, so the meeting is set to have a significant impact on the Premier League title race.

The Sky Blues had a month to forget in December, as they slipped to three defeats at the hands of Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City, surpassing the two losses they suffered in the whole of last season.

By contrast, Liverpool remain in imperious form after they thrashed Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield on Saturday, per football writer Leanne Prescott:

City have won just one of their seven meetings with the Reds since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016, and that was a 5-0 capitulation after Sadio Mane was sent off early and before the arrivals of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk transformed Liverpool's defence.

Given the talent available to Guardiola, though, it's hard to rule out City whenever they play.

After their run of poor results, the Sky Blues ended 2018 on a stronger note with a 3-1 win over Southampton, but they will need to be at their best to beat the Reds on Thursday.