Liverpool’s improved form sees the Reds back in the top four race but Klopp thinks they still aren’t back to playing their best football.

After a difficult start to the 2022-23 season that saw the Reds mired in mid-table, Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side have recorded four straight league victories to climb back into the top four race, and a win against Brentford to start 2023 could see them a single point off the pace.

“It’s the only way we can put pressure on them so it’s what we have to do,” Klopp said. “When you have good teams on your back it’s not very comfortable, so results wise it’s good but performances I’d like to have a little bit more but we will get there and the results help the most.

“We are very self-critical and we know we can improve, we can sort things better on the pitch, so that is clear. But that’s what we will try and now it’s really tough but for Brentford as well to have two games in such a short period of time so now that’s the job that we have to do.”

Brentford won’t be easy opponents, though, with Thomas Frank’s Bees have wins against West Ham and Manchester City and draws with Tottenham and Nottingham to show for their last four league outings as they currently sit tenth in the table, just five points back of Liverpool.

Aside from the Nottingham draw, all three of those results likely exceed expectations for the second-year Premier League side, and while the Reds target top four, taking points off of Liverpool today would potentially set Brentford up to challenge for the European places this season.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com