‘West Ham did not scare us’

Klopp defends Monday’s Premier League draw as a ‘normal away game’ for Liverpool

LIVERPOOL manager Jürgen 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 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 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, allowing 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