‘It’s a surprise’: Klopp wowed by Liverpool’s hot start

LIVERPOOL: Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool’s flying start has surprised him as they won their sixth successive Premier League game to return to the top of the table.

The comfortable 3- 0 victory over Southampton at Anfield was wrapped up by half-time on Saturday courtesy of an own goal from Wesley Hoedt, Joel Matip’s header and Mohamed Salah’s simple fi nish.

The victory marked Liverpool’s best start to a season since they won eight league games in a row in 1990- 91.

Klopp’s red-hot men have now won seven successive matches in all competitions this term.

Southampton manager Mark Hughes, now without a league win in 12 visits to Anfield with six different teams, admitted the second half was simply “damage limitation” for the Saints.

And Klopp was happy to welcome another unexpected milestone on his team’s journey.

“I lost seven games in a row once, that felt different! But then we won game number eight 5- 0, very cool,” he said.

“It’s a surprise, but all the

I lost seven games in a row once, that felt different! But then we won game number eight 5-0, very cool. Jurgen Klopp Liverpool manager

performances we showed so far were good enough to win the games.

“Different challenges, different styles of opponent, the boys were there, really in the situation and in the game.”

Klopp was also able to offer good news on the only possible downsides on the day for Liverpool, the half time removal of Xherdan Shaqiri and the second half substitution of Virgil van Dijk, who left the pitch clutching his ribs.

Klopp revealed Shaqiri’s early substitution in his fi rst Liverpool start was purely tactical despite his involvement in the build up to the fi rst goal - his shot hit Shane Long before going in off Hoedt - and his superb 25 yard free-kick against the bar which led to Salah’s tap-in for the third.

“I said to Shaq at half time that I’d never taken a player off at half time after such an inf luential half,” Klopp said.

“He was not injured, but I wanted to control the game, go back to our normal formation, and that helped us.”

The Swiss internat ional understood the decision, according to his manager.

“He’s a fantastic boy so there was no problem. I explained it to him, usually I don’t explain substitutions but I thought today it made a bit of sense,” Klopp added.

“It’s just good to have him. You saw the free kick, it was outstanding. What a ball!”

Van Dijk, said Klopp, aggravated bruised ribs which he carried into the PSG game in midweek.

“He had already before the PSG game kind of a bruised rib, which is very uncomfortable, and today he got another hit there,” he said.

“It’s not cool, but should not be too serious.

“He said he couldn’t shout any more, so that’s obviously 60 per cent less of his level.” — AFP