Chelsea v Liverpool: 'Last man standing' Klopp uncomfortable over manager sackings

German takes his Reds to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, two days after Graham Potter was fired

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and former Chelsea coach Graham Potter before the Premier League match at Anfield in January. Potter was sacked by Chelsea two days before the reverse fixture. PA

Jurgen Klopp said the number of managers who have lost their jobs in the Premier League this season is "awful" as his Liverpool side prepare to face Chelsea days after Graham Potter was sacked.

Potter was relieved of his duties on Sunday after Chelsea slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League table following a 2-0 home defeat on Saturday to Aston Villa. The Englishman's exit from Stamford Bridge came one day after Brendan Rodgers was fired by Leicester City.

It means there have been 13 managerial exits this season – a record for the Premier League. Twelve of the 13 have been fired – also a record – with Brighton having only had to change coaches because Potter left the club for Chelsea in September.

“The elephant in the room,” Liverpool manager Klopp said on Monday, “is why I'm still sitting here in this crazy world. I’m the last man standing.”

The previous highest number of firings in a single season was 10 in each of the 2008-09, 2013-14, 2017-18 and 2021-22 campaigns, according to statistics provider Opta.

“It’s actually an awful number,” said Klopp, who also noted that Bayern Munich recently changed coaches in his native Germany, with former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel hired to replace Julian Naglesmann.

“But it is how it is. You always have years where it happens more often than others. Obviously some clubs are underachieving this year. We are.

“Especially when you are in a relegation battle, we all know how much it means from a financial point of view for clubs. And you could say similar things about being in the Champions League or not in the Champions League. There are expectations out there, rightly so, and if you don’t reach them you have to accept the decisions.”

Klopp is the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, having been at Liverpool since October 2015, and he is going through one of his toughest periods at the club.

The latest humbling performance was at Manchester City, where Liverpool were beaten 4-1 on Saturday in a display Klopp described as “unacceptable.” It left Liverpool in eighth place, eight points off the Champions League qualification spots.

Klopp is expecting another tough game on Tuesday when Liverpool visit Chelsea, who will be led by interim manager Bruno Saltor.

“I’m pretty sure Chelsea want to show a reaction,” Klopp said. “When you saw the Bayern game against Borussia Dortmund (Bayern won 4-1 on Saturday), there was also a reaction for whatever reason.

“It’s a strange week … The season gets to a decisive part and people are afraid of not reaching their targets.”