Joel Matip has hailed Liverpool’s previous two victories as proof that his team are capable of playing in more than one way.
The club’s disappointing start to 2017 was followed by criticism that Jurgen Klopp’s men were one dimensional, yet Matip feels the players went some way towards defying that belief through the manner in which they picked up away wins at Stoke and West Brom. The performances were far from Liverpool’s best this season but they consisted of a determination and a hunger that the defender feels demonstrated a different side to the Reds.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, he said: “At first, we want to win and it doesn’t matter which way.”
“Of course, I would prefer to win maybe 5-0 and everybody would love it, but I have no problem to win like this. Everybody was fighting, everybody was giving everything for every ball and that’s also a way of winning games. It shows that we can win like this.”
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A similarly physical and gritty display is what could be required once again when Liverpool host Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Sam Allardyce’s side carry not only the strength but also the attacking fire power that demands another brave and mature performance from Klopp’s side if they are to have any chance of making it three wins in a row.
It promises to be a tough test for a Liverpool team potentially missing a number of players with Lucas Leiva, Ragnar Klavan, Daniel Sturridge and Matip himself having been labelled as doubts during the week.