Klopp: Liverpool v Tottenham is like a Champions League game in the Premier League

has lost their last two league matches and is in ninth place in the

with 16 points after 12 matches. They are 15 points behind leaders Arsenal and will play with

on Sunday.

"It's a big game for us, a massive game for us – difficult as well, Spurs away,"

Klopp said.

"I didn't count the points distance between us and them, but we cannot be picky with opponents and games where we want to get points. We have to go for it, definitely, but it's difficult."

Tottenham has not beaten Liverpool in their last nine meetings in the league, but Klopp admitted he never relishes facing Tottenham and has never been convinced of beating them before the game.

"To explain wins is really easy, because nobody listens really,"

the manager said.

"Everybody is in a great mood, you're just smiling and 'it's in good shape'.

"When you lose, it's much more difficult; now, each word is really important. But I don't have five million different words for it.

"If you want to get out of something, you first have to get through it. That's where we are.

"It might take time, but it's not that we say now Tottenham is too early for us to really show up already. No, it's not; we go there and want to be at our best, 100 per cent.

"But sitting here now, being 1,000 per cent convinced 'yes, we will'? What I can tell you: it never was [easy] before going to Tottenham. I never thought 'good moment to face Tottenham; let's smash them'. That was never the case.

"It's a difficult place to go, a really good team, extremely well coached, and a real fighting unit. There are no friendly games against them. Antonio's on his toes on the sidelines, the players are in challenges, all these kinds of things, so it will be a tough one.

"But that's actually what we all want; it's like a Champions League game in the Premier League. That's how we will approach it.

"I can imagine in a phase like this it takes a bit longer [talking about defeats]. 'Always the same: fighting, doing this, oh, again' – these kinds of things.

"Sorry. Without fighting, we shouldn't even try. Yes, we have to fight through this; that's the case, that's how it is.

"You cannot play through it, you cannot say now to forget the defending stuff, 'let's just circle around them, pass the ball through them, nutmegs here, backheels there'. That's not how it works. That's why we're in the mood we are. It's absolutely okay.

"It's rather good that in between... you lose against Leeds, and I couldn't have felt worse, no chance, but then you play a good game against a team in form, and it gives you a lift. That's normal. Here we go.

"Now, we play against Tottenham and try to feel like we did after the Napoli game."

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