ReactionLiverpool 2-1 Brighton: Every word from Jürgen Klopp's post-match press conference
‘Difficult game, good performance, fantastic result,’ is how Jürgen Klopp summed up Liverpool’s 2-1 comeback win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
Mohamed Salah scored decisively midway through the second half to secure all three points for the Reds, after Luis Diaz’s volley had cancelled out a second-minute strike by Danny Welbeck.
Klopp’s team therefore kept their bid for the Premier League title on course on a day the other two primary contenders, Manchester City and Arsenal, met at Etihad Stadium.
Read every word from the manager’s post-match press conference below.
On the response Liverpool displayed to conceding the early goal...
It was, from my point of view, the best performance we had against Roberto [De Zerbi]’s Brighton. More possession, better possession. A really good rhythm in the game – besides the goal, we lose the ball. We can lose the ball high up the pitch, that doesn’t mean you have to concede, that was really well done. Great, great finish as well, as far as I saw it. I liked the reaction a lot but I saw as well in our finishing we were a bit in a rush. That was not the same level like all the rest.
You cannot create all the time like we did and then one or two of them must be proper chances; we didn’t have enough shots on target in the first half and the few we had were rollers. We had to do that better, but we still scored an equaliser after a set-piece, which is always a good and very helpful asset. We showed the boys a couple of situations at half-time and told them what we should keep doing, where we had to calm down and our defending we could improve. We tried that and again controlled big parts of the game, as much as you can against them. It is not always possible because it is super-intense to deny them. It is real hard work.
The front line had to work hard, had to be patient in the right moment. Wataru [Endo] and Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] in the right spaces and Dom [Szoboszlai] was the surprising act there, the chaser, the chaos creator, and that worked really well I thought. They had possession but not the possession they wanted and that helps. We scored a wonderful second goal, a wonderful third goal but was unfortunately slightly offside but still a good goal. Then you have to bring it over the line. To be 100 per cent honest, we are not now in that situation for 10 years with this team so I thought we would have been a bit more nervous, but actually I thought the boys were really calm and I liked that a lot. Yes, they still had moments, that’s how it can go and you cannot deny them completely. We won the game, I think we all agree we deserved to win the game, so a really good afternoon.
On Alexis Mac Allister’s performance...
I saw a lot of special performances today. Yes, Macca was incredible – absolutely incredible – but when you have that kind of talent, when you have that kind of character, then you should show it. It’s Macca, he can do that – so do it. That’s Conor [Bradley], that’s [Jarell] Quansah, that’s Wataru, that’s Dom… they are that good. That’s Joe Gomez. The boys are good, so show it.
Yes, I am the biggest fan of these boys but I stopped being surprised if they really perform on the highest level because it is just what I want them to do and then when they do it it’s fine. If they cannot do it then I think about why and how we could help, but when they do it I am not as surprised as others maybe, I am just happy the more often they can do it. Great game, so many moments and then Caoimh [Kelleher] puts the ball out of the corner. I saw that pretty well and I didn’t expect the hand coming. There he was and it was really cool. As I said, difficult game, good performance, fantastic result.
On the importance of the previous title-race experience members of his squad have in games when the team have to overcome adversity…
I loved the atmosphere today. When I talk about being nervous as a whole unit, we were more nervous years ago. So, it was pretty much like that: when we were 1-0 up then before we scored the second or the third nobody could calm down a little bit in the stands. That’s long ago but it is something we had to develop together and I loved the reaction of the crowd today – the people were really in the game and I love that, really.
So, as a unit, we have to get through this [and] we decide if we enjoy it or not, pretty much. It will be tough and yes, it is sometimes nerve-wracking and the heart rate will be at 180 or 200 or whatever from time to time if you watch it or if you play in it. But if we all together enjoy this, then we have a chance. If we don’t, we still have a chance, it’s just really much more difficult and that’s why we try to stay positive in all these moments. It is a great situation where the boys brought us in, we are there. I don’t even know exactly the points tally but another three [today]. So, we are there with two other teams fighting for the biggest prize in English football and we will see how it will end up. But I decided I will really try hard to enjoy it.
On whether any of Liverpool’s injured players will be back for Thursday’s game against Sheffield United…
Full training is Curtis [Jones]. So, he trained already with us yesterday but then had extra because the [matchday] minus-one session has not the intensity Curtis needed so he was with us and then he had an extra shift. He will be in full training. What does that exactly mean for the game? Let me have a look on that. Nobody else [will return]. The others, slowly but surely [recovering], but not yet.
On whether Salah is now back to his best in terms of sharpness after his injury…
Yes, playing-wise, absolutely. Imagine if Mo would have finished off all the situations in his career, that would have been crazy numbers, so it is absolutely fine. Mo as well, like others, was a bit in a rush in the finishing situations in the first half, the finishes were not like they can do it. But then being that calm in the decisive moment when you have to finish the biggest chance we had, it was the best football situation we played, that then makes a real goalscorer so I am absolutely happy with everything. He could play 90-something [minutes] and now we just have to keep going.
We need all the boys. Darwin [Nunez] opened up so many spaces for us, Lucho [Diaz] was incredible, so they all were really good today. How I said, the two centre-halves, outstanding. It was a really, really good football game against just an opponent where you know exactly that it will be the hardest work. To defend them is probably the highest intensity necessary in English football, but we did well. I don’t think they played a lot of games like that now, where somebody pressed in the way we pressed, and I am really happy with that.
