Caoimhin Kelleher is gearing up for an extended stint as Liverpool’s starting goalkeeper following Alisson Becker’s hamstring injury, which will keep the Brazilian sidelined until after next month’s international break. Despite the challenges ahead, Kelleher is optimistic about Liverpool’s chances of competing with title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal in the coming weeks.
With a challenging fixture list on the horizon, including matches against Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, and Brighton (twice) in both the Carabao Cup and Premier League, Kelleher believes his team has what it takes to succeed. “Obviously, the standard is crazy at the moment,” he remarked, reflecting on the intense competition in the league. “You have City and Arsenal, who have shown in the last few seasons that they are title contenders, and we’re trying to match them.”
He continued, “But you look at the schedule, and every game is a difficult game, which just shows the level of the league. You can’t relax or take your foot off the pedal in any match because you won’t get the result you want. The quality throughout the league is really good, and I think it’s personally the best league in the world.”
Kelleher emphasized the need for ambition within the squad, stating, “We definitely have the quality to challenge for a title. It’s easy to say that—you need to back it up. If we want to compete, we need to be on a similar level to City and Arsenal and maintain these performances, and most importantly, keep getting results.”
Interestingly, Kelleher had previously expressed a desire to leave the club in search of first-team opportunities, but he has been impressed by the approach of new manager Arne Slot, who took over from Jurgen Klopp this summer.
“There was a massive change for us with the manager leaving and a lot of the staff and coaches as well,” Kelleher noted. “But it was important that there weren’t too many changes in the squad. We all know what it’s about; we came close to the league last year, so there’s already a high motivation to take that next step.”
He added, “I think that makes it easier for the new manager coming in, as he inherits a squad full of quality. Like he has been saying, there’s a lot of quality and experience in the squad, along with the motivation to go that one step further.”
