Liverpool can win the Premier League, insists "Lucas"
Lucas Leiva insists
Liverpool can win the Premier League title this season, but admits there are
lots of work still to do.
Jurgen Klopp's men have
spent the international break sitting top of the table, one point ahead of
Chelsea and two ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal.
They
rounded off their rise to the summit with a 6-1
thrashing of Watford at the start of the month, with
Lucas starting at heart of the defence in place of the ill Dejan Lovren.
The victory at Anfield
saw Liverpool extend their unbeaten run to 12 games, and Lucas believes
the Reds can win the Premier League title, but he is not counting on lifting
the trophy just yet after previous experiences.
"Yes I think we can with the title. We have had very good
results and playing against some very hard teams and we've showed that if we
perform the way we are at this moment, we believe we can win the title,"
he told Soccer Saturday.
"But it is a very
early stage. I have been top of the league in other years at this stage around
Christmas time and ended up not winning so we have to go game by game and there’s
still a long way to go.
"There are times
that we will be struggling as every team does and we will have to be able to
cope with that, still collect as many points as we can and see where it
will take us by May.
"Of course we know
where we are at this moment but it is something we don't really talk too much
about. It is great to be there but there are still a lot of games to be played
and we want to end up there.
"Watford was a very
good result and performance as far as am concern. I've been involved in other
good games that we probably didn't win 6-1 but 2-1 or 3-1. I remember a few
games last year as well where we had a very good performance.
"The momentum is
very good, the performances have been very good so we still have a lot to improve.
That's positive because if we can be top of the league and still have a lot to
improve, then that's a good sign of what we are trying to do every day in
training."
Lucas is now in his 10th
season with Liverpool, having joined the club in July 2007, and thinks the
current side is one of the best he has been involved in while he believes his
work ethic has kept him at Anfield for so long.
"I think it is a
very strong squad. It is almost hard to compare because the teams are
different, the mangers are different," he added.
"I can see this
team now doesn't rely on only one player. That's what has been the big factor
for me. Having been in and around for many years and watching players, I think
this team is becoming a very strong team, it doesn't rely on one or two
players.
"We
had individual players who are doing very well at this moment but goals are
coming from everywhere and results have been good so that's probably the point
I would make about this team but it is very hard to "I think of all the
critics I have, I probably have something good to offer here. Liverpool is a
club where I love playing, I enjoy every minute. I know it won't be forever, so
I just try to give my best all the time.
"That's why I've
probably been here, playing under five mangers and that's how I have been doing
over the last 10 years. There have been moments that have been very hard, very
down and frustrating but you have to keep working and try to help as much
as you can and that's what I try to do."
Next
up for Lucas and Liverpool is a trip to Southampton on Saturday afternoon,
where the title credentials of Klopp's side will once again be put to the test.
"Every away game,
you say these kind of games are difficult but you have to get the three points
like it was against Crystal Palace and all the teams so it's another hard
one," Lucas said.
"Southampton always
have very good teams and good players, some of the players are here with us now
which shows how strong they can be. They probably haven't had the results they
wanted in the last few games but they are a very good side and it will be
another big test for us.
"If we can get
through that, it will be another sign that we are ready to challenge for
everything." He concluded.
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