Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp says their 2-2 season-opening draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday “was a defeat”.
The Reds had to come from behind twice in order to get the one point, with Klopp adding that he doesn’t know THIS Reds span.
The Reds were stunned in the 32nd minute when Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic drew first blood by towering over rightback Trent Alexander-Arnold to nod home the opener.
With Luis Diaz striking the post for Liverpool and the woodwork also denying Fulham’s Neeskens Kebano, it was replacement and Prem debutant Darwin Nunez that scored the next goal in the 64th minute with a clever backheel flick finish to a flowing attack.
Mitrovic, who scored a record 43 goals in the Championship last season, then won and converted a 72nd-minute penalty when he set up Virgil van Dijk with a clever bit of skill.
Then, with 10 minutes to go, Mo Salah was on hand to tuck home a dangerous long ball from Alexander-Arnold to make it 2-2.
Klopp, though, was not impressed, saying: “The performance was a defeat – the result is not a defeat but the performance was a defeat and that’s why we have to figure out what happened.
“It can happen. And again, if we win today and don’t learn anything from the game, much worse than getting a point and learn the right things – I'm fine with that…
Jürgen Klopp admitted our performance in the 2-2 draw at Fulham to kick off the Premier League season fell below the standards expected.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 6, 2022
“That's not us today, it was not us today...
“We played a really bad game and got a point...
“But playing the way we played is not how we should play and that’s why my frustration about that is pretty high.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za