Klopp relieved as Reds deal with tricky Terriers
Jurgen Klopp put last week’s Wembley horror show behind him and comfortably won the battle between the Premier League’s two bespectacled, bearded, German managers.
A week on from the low point of Liverpool’s season – the drubbing by Spurs – and the high point of Huddersfield’s – the 2-1 win over Manchester United – normal service was resumed.
Klopp and Town boss David Wagner have been friends since they played together in the German second division with Mainz 25 years ago, worked together at Borussia Dortmund and Wagner was best man at Klopp’s wedding.
But the man they call “Klopp-lite” was always second best as his mate’s team began to redress some of the damage already done to their title hopes.
Three second-half goals – from Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum – did the trick and the welcome clean sheet meant that Huddersfield still haven’t scored a top-flight goal at Anfield since Liverpool were relegated in 1954.
Klopp said: “We had not the best week. Tottenham was the worst game we played in the season and you can’t ignore it.
“We take the situation really seriously because it is really important.
“We had many more good games than bad this season, but we have one really bad one and the whole world watched it.
“It was a big relief to win because the pressure was there. I could hear it. People didn’t like the first half too much.
“It was really difficult for us to stay patient. Huddersfield played like they played against United and they were successful then, so it was possible that they would have been successful again. We were not fluent in the first half, but it was not too difficult to fix at half-time.
“The first goal, we forced the situation, the second one after a set-piece felt like Christmas and the third one was nice play.”
There won’t be many worse first halves anywhere this season.
Huddersfield simply refused to engage anywhere but inside their own half and by the 42nd minute Liverpool had two shots, both of which went straight at keeper Jonas Lossl. Town did not have any, on or off target. But then there was a single moment of drama when Town skipper Tommy Smith held on to Firmino’s shirt off the ball in the box as James Milner floated over a cross and referee Kevin Friend gave Liverpool a penalty.
Mo Salah drove it hard and low but too close to Lossl, who did well to parry it away.
Jordan Henderson, following up, slammed the loose ball into the advertising hoardings.
Smith may have got away with that one but it all went pear-shaped for him five minutes after the break when he headed Alberto Moreno’s long punt straight to the feet of Sturridge, who calmly clipped it over Huddersfield goalkeeper Lossl. Town, so competitive when beating Manchester United last week, clearly had no Plan B.
Mathias Jorgensen denied Sturridge a second eight minutes later with a last-ditch interception almost on the goal-line, but from Milner’s corner Firmino headed in for Liverpool’s second goal of the game.
Lossl tipped Salah’s shot on to the outside of a post and wide and Joel Matip headed wide before Wijdaldum was given time and space to take a Salah pass and blast it unchallenged into the roof of the net.
The Huddersfield boss accepted the result was the right one.
“I would say at the end it was a fair result,” said Wagner. “Until their first goal we played defensively very well and neutralised them. I haven’t seen Anfield so quiet.
“But after we conceded the second goal, Liverpool showed their offensive power.
“We learned over the last two weeks that we are able to defend even against the top guns, but you have to do it from the first to the final whistle. If you give one small chance away, they will punish you.”