Klopp: Nothing scary about Hammers
LIVERPOOL manager Juergen Klopp hit back at West Ham United skipper Mark Noble after the midfielder said his side had “scared” the Premier League leaders in a 1-1 draw on Monday.
Klopp’s side missed the chance to stretch their lead over Manchester City at the top to five points as Michail Antonio cancelled out Sadio Mane’s 22nd-minute opener at the London Stadium.
Liverpool were off the pace and West Ham, who had conceded 16 goals in their last four league games against Klopp’s side, would not have been flattered had they won.
“We scared them, I’m just gutted we didn’t come away with the three AP Photo points,” said Noble, who wasted 12th-placed West Ham’s best chance after the break.
Told of Noble’s comments in his post-match news conference, Klopp said: “I wish for all West Ham fans that Mark Noble and his team would scare more teams really, not only us tonight.
“I don’t know him very well, I don’t know why he speaks of us like that after a game. They didn’t scare us, they defended well. It was a normal away game and other away games have been worse than tonight. They have quality and I don’t know why they don’t have more results.”
Having drawn at home to Leicester City last week, when they also took the lead, Liverpool have dropped four points in two games, which has allowed closest challengers Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur to close the gap.
Should City beat Everton today, they will knock Liverpool off the top for the first time since early December.
Klopp, who said both James Milner and Virgil van Dijk had played despite being ill this week, played down talk of Liverpool feeling the pressure as they try to win their first league title since 1989/90.
“We have to fight, it is not about pressure - it’s about enjoying the situation you are in,” Klopp said.
| Reuters