Superb start, but Reds boss wants more
KLOPP: LIVERPOOL MANAGER LAYS DOWN A CHALLENGE
Jurgen Klopp challenged Liverpool to extend their blistering start after the Premier League leaders delivered a statement of intent with a “perfect” 2-1 win against Tottenham.
Klopp’s side made it five successive wins as goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino rewarded their dominant display at Wembley on Saturday.
Erik Lamela’s late strike for Tottenham prompted a nervous finale as the hosts appealed in vain for a penalty when Sadio Mane ankle-tapped Son Heung-min.
But anything less than three points would have been cruel on Liverpool.
The display marked Liverpool out as the most likely challengers to champions Manchester City.
But Reds boss Klopp, a winner at Wembley for the first time, wants to see his men produce a sustained spell of excellence before he agrees with that sentiment.
“I’m really happy and proud about the performance because the boys came back (from international duty) only on Wednesday and Thursday,” Klopp said.
“With all good results, of course you have momentum. Now we won a few games, that’s good, but it doesn’t change anything for us. It’s a long season.”
After suffering four defeats against their top six rivals last season, including a 4-1 thrashing at Tottenham, this was exactly the kind of composed performance Klopp wanted to see.
Liverpool have yet to scale the attacking peaks they hit during last season’s run to the Champions League final.
But they are playing with such hunger that no-one has been able to rattle them yet.
Tottenham have lost consecutive Premier League games for the first time since 2016, puncturing the optimism engendered by three successive wins to start the campaign.
“The performance wasn’t great. If we analyse the first five games, the performances were similar but today the opponent was Liverpool,” Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
“When you make mistakes of course you will be punished. Of course they deserved to win.”
Hamstrung by injuries to Dele Alli and Hugo Lloris, as well as Harry Kane’s post-World Cup malaise, Pochettino added: “It’s the toughest season because it’s a challenge to work with a team that only arrived a few days before the start of the competition.
“I’m not worried. We are going to win a lot of games.” –