Everton 0-0 Liverpool: Jürgen Klopp's reaction
Jürgen Klopp felt Liverpool's goalless draw away at Everton in the Premier League on Sunday evening was a fair result.
The Reds returned to top-flight action after a three-and-a-half month pause for the 236th Merseyside derby, which ended in stalemate.
Both sides created chances throughout the affair at Goodison Park, with goalkeepers Alisson Becker and Jordan Pickford making vital saves to ensure the points were shared.
Read on for a full transcript of Klopp's post-match press conference...
On the draw and being a point closer to the title...
Look, we don't count like this now all the time. Today I think the point is the one we deserved, even when I have to admit that, of course, Everton had the biggest chance to win the game. That was a little bit our problem, that we didn't create enough chances with all the possession we had. I liked the intensity level of the game, I liked the high-press, counter-press, all these kind of things. I didn't like too much – but you cannot force that – the rhythm. We had good football moments absolutely, not until the last moment, the decisive moment where you have a free shot of whatever. We didn't have enough chances for sure, but that's how it is. When I think about it, I think all the derbies here at Goodison looked pretty similar honestly. I think the result is similar. At Anfield, the games are most of the time slightly better. Here at Goodison it was always like this – two teams, aggressive, very physical. Everton [were well] organised, so we had to run a lot, which I like. It looked good, we looked fit, we looked ready. But now in three days we play another game against Crystal Palace and they are obviously in a very good shape and looked good yesterday. So, we have to make sure that we are ready for that.
On the overall quality of his side's display after a long break...
I saw now four weeks [of] training sessions and I was completely happy with the level of performance and stuff like this. Today it was just a different game. How I said, physically we were ready for this game today. The defensive stuff was there. Offensively, you need moments in games and during moments you need to find a rhythm – that didn't happen today. If you score in a situation then the game can change completely, that's how it is. That didn't happen today and I know we can play better football. The performance level was OK. How I said, I think we played here a year ago, April, and two years ago maybe in December, late December, the games always look the same. What can I make of that now? We have to respect the opponent as well and Everton was obviously here to make our life difficult – and they did. They have quality in these areas and they could have won the game, that's how it is as well. But I think a point is the deserved result. Outside this room Carlo Ancelotti sees it the same. Maybe he told you something different, but he told me that he sees it the same way!
On Naby Keita's performance...
Naby was good. Taki was good as well. By the way, the change at half-time was a pure idea for me and nothing to do with Taki's performance. He found the game in the first half absolutely and then we thought, 'Come on, why wait until the player gets tired when you get the opportunity?'. That didn't work out 100 per cent, but Ox was lively, very lively. Naby looked absolutely good. He looked good in training and it's for sure the reason why he played today. That was the same, you have the opportunity, you have a real quality player on the bench and then you bring Gini Wijnaldum in that situation. It's just you have to try, ‘How can you deal with the quality and how can you deal with the intensity of the game?’ We play in three days again. Today if I play 11 players the 95 minutes and they all have to go like they had to go today, then I have a real problem on Wednesday, that's how it is. You cannot underestimate it after four weeks of pre-season and nine weeks break before. We play two games in three games, so that's why we have to think a little a bit before we have problems. We tried that and in the end you never will be perfect, that's how it is. But the performance of Naby especially was really good.
On Alisson and his save to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin late on...
I saw only the chance. I saw the save but I forget it, so that probably says most about him and how we take that for granted – we should not. Outstanding. A difficult goalkeeper game. He had the ball much more in his feet than in his hands but he's good with his feet as well, so that's good. That's what a world-class goalie is, nothing to do for 90 minutes pretty much and then in one second you have to be there and he was there. It obviously saved us a point – it was not the first one.