Liverpool pull off dramatic derby victory
JURGEN Klopp finally had a reason to celebrate Christmas after Sadio Mane’s dramatic 94th-minute goal saw his side move second in the English Premier League table with a 1-0 victory in the Merseyside derby at Everton on Monday.
The result hauled Klopp’s team to within six points of leaders Chelsea heading into the holiday period.
“I’m really happy,” Klopp, who was experiencing his first trip to Goodison Park, said.
“We now have 37 points and that’s good. It could have been 40something but that is OK.”
They dropped five points recently against Bournemouth and West Ham after leading in both.
“The play of Everton was wild football. They were chasing us in the first half. We could have done better but it is really difficult to adapt to something like that,” Klopp said.
“I am sure in two or three months we can react much better, but today [Monday] it was a little bit of a surprise and we couldn’t handle it.”
Until Mane struck home a rebound from Daniel Sturridge’s shot, the game’s main talking point had been Ross Barkley escaping a red card after a high stamp, above the ankle of Liverpool and England midfielder Jordan Henderson.
“You all saw it, I don’t have to say anything about it. I think Ross is lucky and Hendo is lucky too that nothing else happened,” Klopp said.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman agreed Barkley could have been red-carded.
However, as Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren was involved in a shoving match that followed the incident, the Dutchman believed the opposition player might have been dismissed having already been booked.
“It was a tough tackle, maybe it’s a red,” he said.
“But what happened after this is not a fair decision from the referee.
“Maybe it’s a red for Barkley, but there was a reaction from several players, started by Lovren.
“He already had a yellow and the referee gave a yellow to [Seamus] Coleman and nobody else.
“If you’re straight, you give Lovren his second yellow, Coleman a yellow and maybe a red card.”
At least Barkley’s England teammate Henderson suffered no ill effects from the challenge.
“I think it was pretty late, but I know Ross well and he’s a good lad. I’m good friends with him,” Henderson said.