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Liverpool can end league title drought: James Milner

Champions League triumph has given Liverpool confidence that they can end EPL title drought

Last season's triumphant Champions League campaign has given Liverpool the confidence and belief they can win the English Premier League this season, midfielder James Milner has said.

Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final in June to win their first trophy under manager Juergen Klopp and finished second in the EPL, a point behind Manchester City.

Klopp's team lead the league by six points this season after a strong start and Milner hopes the experience of winning Europe's elite club competition will help in their pursuit of a first league title in 30 years, reported Reuters.

league cup FOURTH ROUND
LIVERPOOL ARSENAL

The last three teams to rack up 28 points after 10 matches, Chelsea in 2005/06 and City in 2011/12 and 2017/18, all went on to win the league.

"This season we have a team that can do it," Milner told The Guardian ahead of the Reds' League Cup fourth-round clash with Arsenal tomorrow morning (Singapore time).

CONFIDENT

"I think there's a calm around the club, both inside and outside, and people are confident we can get it done.

"Hopefully, winning that first trophy, the European Cup, as a squad will give us the experience to win the league."

  • 28 POINTS

    • Chelsea 2005/06, finished 1st
    • Man City 2011/12, finished 1st
    • Man City 2017/18, finished 1st
    • Liverpool 2019/2020

    27 POINTS

    • Newcastle 1995/96, finished 2nd

Liverpool won the last of their 18 top-flight titles in 1990 and Milner said the team are expecting another tight title race in which defending champions City push them every step of the way.

"City are so good they're capable of winning every game," the 33-year-old added.

"The gap is not that big, so we have to just keep pushing and not worry too much about the title.

"A couple of bad games can happen and, with the amount of games we're playing, there might be a couple of injuries.

"It could be a couple of poor performances and the lead's gone. That's why it's so special to win the league."

While ending their league title drought seems to be the priority for the Reds, ex-Liverpool striker John Aldridge believes his former team should also take the League Cup seriously.

He wrote in his Liverpool Echo column: "I do believe a good run in this competition can help Liverpool this season.

"It certainly hasn't done Man City any harm in the last couple of seasons.

"At the end of the day, football is about trips to Wembley - which we haven't had for a little while now - and silverware."

The Reds have exited the League Cup in the third round in the past two seasons, but assistant manager Pep Lijnders insists his side will "attack this competition".

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Juergen Klopp's right-hand man said: "We will attack this competition. We are one game away from the last eight.

"We want quality and identity in our game and freshness is important...

SPECIAL TALENT

"We have some special (young) talent. It would not be intelligent not to use them."

After playing just two games last season due to injury, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could continue his rehabilitation with a bow against his former club Arsenal.

The midfielder scored two goals against Genk last Wednesday but was left out of the starting line-up for Liverpool's 2-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

Said Lijnders: "We want to give him time.

"We know it will come if he keeps his aggression defensively and offensively...

"We've already seen glimpses. The next step is doing it for 95 minutes.

"He is very important as he gives a completely different dynamic creatively."

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