Press conferenceJürgen Klopp: The boys fought really hard for Bournemouth win
Jürgen Klopp praised the work-rate and determination that enabled Liverpool to come from behind while absorbing the dismissal of Alexis Mac Allister and beat AFC Bournemouth 3-1 at Anfield.
The Reds overturned a deficit caused by Antoine Semenyo's early opener thanks to goals from Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah – who converted the rebound after Neto had saved his penalty – and Diogo Jota.
Shortly before Jota's 62nd-minute clincher, Mac Allister was shown a straight red card for a foul on Ryan Christie, meaning Klopp's team – for whom Wataru Endo debuted as a second-half substitute – played the final half an hour with 10 men.
Alisson Becker made two superb late saves to preserve a victory that moves Liverpool onto four points from two Premier League outings this season.
Read a transcript of Klopp's post-match press conference below.
On how Liverpool responded to going down to 10 men before the hour mark...
Top. The level was really good, it was really good. We scored the third goal [and] in that situation we still had our moments, we still had counter-attacks. I thought for [having] never ever trained or played in that formation the boys did extremely well, they all fought really hard. I think the situations Bournemouth had were all high balls into the box, header, square, bam... that's really difficult to defend because you cannot avoid all long balls, especially not with a man down, but I thought we did that really well.
Of course, there was the first half as well when we were 11v11 and the start in the game was not how we wanted it. Conceding a first goal after a minute is not good but if then it is offside and you think then it's the wake-up call we maybe needed today. Then a minute later we concede another goal and then, I think, another two minutes later we have a yellow card for our goalie, so it's nothing you need.
We are working with human beings and it happens and we will try to figure out why. You saw in the game that then we were awake. Not immediately fluent enough, but step by step we found a way into the game and played pretty well then, scored the two goals, which was really good. We had more chances, could have scored there, didn't, wanted to pick up in the second half and then after 58 minutes we had 10 men and it was a big fight. That's alright, it's fine.
On Diaz's performance...
When Lucho is fit, I think nobody has any doubt about his quality. It was an exceptional goal he scored, an absolutely exceptional goal. Top-class, in a very good shape, but the second half was really tough for him as well. Being part of this new midfield, that was really hard for him and you could see that. Besides that, as long as he was fresh and everything he was obviously super, super. A massive threat for everybody. He is in a good moment, no doubt about it.
On Mac Allister's red card...
Yes, I saw it back. I think the amount of times I got asked about it [by the media] shows already it is worth discussing it again, which we will probably do. I saw it back now, in the game I couldn't… I asked Macca and he said, 'I touched him but not really.' That was all he told me. After the game I saw it back now and I think if you have a list of points of what you need to give a red card, I think the majority – besides contact – nothing else, no other boxes ticked in that moment. I think it is a decision we all agree if he gives a yellow card the VAR would not overturn it. He gave a red card and the VAR is not overturning it because the contact means there is no clear and obvious [error]. Mistake, but I think the punishment [of] 40 minutes with 10 men in that weather today is already punishment enough, but let's see. I don't know. We have to talk to the authorities.
On whether Trent Alexander-Arnold is OK after his substitution due to a knock…
I hope so. He told me now he got a kick and it was pretty painful, but as far as he felt it didn't twist or whatever, it was a kick and that's why we changed then. But I hope he will be fine.
On Endo making his debut in tough circumstances following Mac Allister's dismissal…
Horrible [circumstances]. First game, coming in, and I think we saw Harvey [Elliott] is in a really good moment but Harvey came on as well in this game and was running left and right and then his heart rate was 240 probably and that was pretty much the same for Endo. It was two days he had so no surprise that, [while] he did absolutely alright, he came there [and] had no clue what to do. I spoke this morning with him about how with 11 players his position would look, but a 4-4-1 was not involved in our conversation. That's it now. I don't think he slept a lot in the last two nights so he came on now and threw everything on the pitch he had and that's it.
On whether he is pleased with taking four points from the opening two games given the amount of change in his squad over the summer…
I think that's the minimum of what we should expect from these two games. When you have a look at it, it's not that I count games and think where we should win and where we could maybe lose, but when you start at Chelsea I don't think any team in the world goes there and just books the points in and says, 'OK, we had them already.' So, having there a point and of course against Bournemouth and against any team in your first home [game] you want to win, so it's an OK start, that's it. If we wouldn't have won, people would have thought differently about it but at least that is now fine. We have obviously big games coming up, the next one is already waiting and that will be a tough one as well. So, it's alright, it's alright, but now we have to keep going, obviously.
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On an impressive home debut from Dominik Szoboszlai…
A home debut, yeah – the away one was not too bad, to be honest. But yeah, you are right. We had to hold him back a little bit, he was obviously the only one who felt like he has power for more [after Mac Allister was sent off] and because he was part of the double six and running everywhere, I had to hold him back a little bit. But the general performance level he shows since he is here is really, really good, to be honest and [he was] involved in the third goal, obviously super-important. These kind of finishing skills we didn't see yet properly but we will probably see that more often in the future, but a really good finish and the goalie cannot clear it and then Diogo can score. Yeah, it was a good one. Macca's home debut was as impressive, to be honest, just not as long, that was the problem, but that was really good as well.