Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool: Jürgen Klopp's post-match verdict
Jürgen Klopp was delighted after watching his Liverpool side secure a deserved three points as they beat Arsenal 3-0 away from home on Saturday evening.
The Reds moved to within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table courtesy of Diogo Jota's brace and a Mohamed Salah goal at Emirates Stadium.
Jota came off the bench just on the hour mark and netted in minutes 64 and 82, with Salah's clinical finish sandwiched in between.
Read on for a full transcript of the boss' post-match press conference...
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On whether he was surprised by Arsenal's tactics...
No, I was not surprised for a second. I never had this feeling during the game. I think the answer for this question is probably [because of] a good performance of my team. I think the first five, six, seven minutes – I'm not 100 per cent sure – were quite an open game, didn't happen a lot. But after that we were really in charge of the game, were dominant, played good football against the line-up of Arsenal with all this counter-attacking threat. What was the most important thing in defending was how our counter-pressing was, and that was absolutely exceptional tonight and it was very important. So, we took that quality away with the counter-press, didn't use our chances obviously [in the] first half but we knew we have to keep going, we have to do a few little things even better in the second half [which] we tried to show the boys in half-time. But the result is the result of the performance, and the performance tonight was obviously good enough that we rather would win the game in the second half than we would lose it. That's why it was necessary that we did the same stuff again and the boys did. We made changes, which helped obviously as well.
On Jota 'making the difference' when he came on...
In finishing, yes, you can say that. But I'm not sure if there could have been another player in the position as well, but I don't want to take anything away from Diogo because he's in a really good moment. We had to make decisions. Look, Diogo played a little bit too much for Portugal for my taste – not criticism of Portugal, just he was long injured, we played him immediately because Bobby was injured and he played too much for us already. Then he went to Portugal and the last two games were really intense, so he felt it a little bit. Gini played all three games for Holland, Robbo looks like he plays all the time for Scotland, every second. So we had to make these kind of decisions – some didn't start, some didn't finish the game. But in general, we had tonight the choice, that's very important. All the boys in the moment – hopefully it stays like this – had a long enough time after the injury they had maybe, are in a good moment and in a good shape as well. We have opportunities. I could have lined up tonight five, six other players who are all in a good shape. Curtis Jones played for the U21s outstanding, Shaq played super, Naby trained outstanding for us, Oxlade is in a really good moment. So that's the situation we have now and now we have to use that for the tough period coming up. That's it.
On Trent Alexander-Arnold's assist for Jota's opener...
Outstanding. Look, when you play a game like Trent played tonight, when you are fully in the game, without thinking a lot, just focusing on the important stuff in the game, then you can do these kind of things. In a worse game, even Trent doesn't cross like that. But tonight he had an exceptionally good game. Yes, the cross was really well but the header, he still had to finish it off – it's not as easy as it looks. So Diogo did that and that's very important.
On the 'statement' Liverpool's performance and victory sets in the race for a top-four spot…
For us, it was a very important statement for us because we need to show that we fight for it. We cannot only talk about it, we have to show it on the pitch and we did that, especially with the way we defended tonight. If we defend like [we did] tonight then we are difficult to break down and if we are difficult to break down, we have a good basis to play good football – and that's what we did tonight, that's why it was so important. In our situation it's clear, with all the things that happened to us in the past in this season, [they] brought us in a position where we don't have it in our hands. We have to win our games and somebody else has to lose because we don't play most of them anymore, but we have to make pressure on them and that's what we did tonight with the result. We are still not in the end of the season or finished; Everton can pass us, West Ham can pass us and all these kind of things, so we have to fight and that's the statement for us and nobody else.
On whether Alexander-Arnold has benefited from rest…
Yes, 100 per cent. But he didn't have a lot of rest because we trained quite intensely with the boys, but yes, for sure, the things we did in training helped him. When you play three games in 10 days there is not a lot of time for training because you recover and all these kind of things. We had time to train, to work on things and that helps. I can understand why it's a story and I said the things I think I had to say because it's my opinion, but I don't want to get it misunderstood. I'm not criticising Gareth Southgate or whatever and I don't want people to think I have an argument with Gareth. I don't have, not at all; I respect his role and his decision, but I know the player better than anyone else, than any other coach, I can say that he is a world-class player. Not only offensively. Does he perform always world-class? No, [but] I don't know a player who is doing that. It's his potential, that's it.
On a third clean sheet in a row and the benefit of Fabinho being back at No.6…
It's all really good, it all helps, but we have a lot of games and we will see if they can play all the games. If not, we will have to make changes. It is three clean sheets in a row, great. The whole team defended on a different level than before, I have to say – it's not only the two in the centre. It was a really good defensive performance and that was necessary – that's what you need, that's what we did and let's hope they all stay fit for the best part of the season in the final part of the season.