Klopp Hails ‘Sensational’ Liverpool Win
Jurgen Klopp hailed his players’ reaction to conceding a late equaliser after a show of character earned Liverpool a hard-fought 2-1 win at Fulham yesterday.
Leading thanks to Sadio Mane’s first-half goal, the visitors were pegged back when a mix up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker allowed former Reds forward Ryan Babel to score from close range. With the Dutchman’s strike coming in the 74th minute, Klopp’s men had little time to respond, but they did so just seven minutes later through James Milner’s penalty.
And it was Liverpool’s refusal to let heads drop in the aftermath of a calamitous concession that most pleased the manager.
“The goal they scored, I thought we begged for it a little bit. There were two or three moments where we asked for it, where they had their best period of the game. Then finally they score,” he said. “But then I saw the reaction of my players and I was pleased with that. It was a good reaction. After the equaliser we were much clearer than we were before, so it’s all good. Not a perfect football game, but in a difficult week for us, a sensational result.
“Football is sometimes like this. I didn’t see any panic. I liked how we reacted, but we needed a penalty. That doesn’t say we are sensational. “The boys are human beings. I was sure we would not panic and show the nerves you are all waiting for us to show.
“We are in this situation long enough to know it is difficult for other teams to beat us, and that gives us always an opportunity to win.
“In most of the draws we had, we were closer to winning the game, and that gives us confidence to go for it and do the right things.
“For five or 10 minutes before the equaliser, we had so many mistakes, which made it a wild game. we controlled the game completely, then we gave Fulham the ball and then the crowd came and it was a bit more exciting again.
“We had a very intense week going to Munich and coming back, travelling to London. Average game, sensational result.”
Victory at Fulham saw Liverpool return to top spot in the Premier League, albeit with second-placed Manchester City having a game in hand.
Asked about the psychological impact of that fact, Klopp replied: “It’s the best position you can be in. But for us it was clear, it’s always clear, City don’t look like they will drop a lot of points, so we have to win. That’s our job.
“Now they have a game in hand, it doesn’t mean that we are now far away from them.
“It’s very important that we won today, you could see that in our reaction. But the most important thing now is that everybody comes back healthy again.
“For quite a lot of players it has been an intense time, and then we start immediately against Tottenham again, which is an interesting game against a really good football team.
“Nothing is decided. What we can do is make sure we stay in the race, and we want to stay in the race. Today we showed that, so all good.”
Coincidentally, Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions will be the next team to visit Craven Cottage, that fixture being scheduled for after the international break. And, based on today’s experience, Klopp isn’t expecting City to have things all their own way against Scott Parker’s side.
“I don’t know exactly how many international players Fulham have, but City has a lot for sure,” he continued.
“That’s always a different game. Fulham play good football, the next step for them is to create something with it, chances or whatever.
“It didn’t feel like we were really under threat, to be honest. Even when they had the ball.
“But from what I heard and what I saw, it’s kind of the DNA of the club to be a football playing side. That’s how they got promoted. There is so much potential here.
“What I liked today, they looked quite calm. They kind of accepted the situation, and thought ‘Let’s play football’.
“They worked so hard for a year to get promoted and now it looks as if they will not be there.
“It was difficult to play today, I have to say.”