Liverpool were stunned 2-1 by Leeds at Anfield on Saturday, bringing an end to a 29-match unbeaten run at Anfield.
Defeat at Anfield. #LIVLEE pic.twitter.com/pGBv9Om0V0
Dik under pressure heading into game after losing to last-placed Nottingham Forest in their last outing, coach Jurgen Klopp and his span again made their name gat again against a team now in 15th place.
The Reds did themselves no favours as Joe Gomez’s backpass caught goalkeeper Alisson and defender Virgil van Dijk off guard and Rodrigo stole in to give Jesse Marsch’s manne a shock second-minute lead.
Mo Salah equalised with a volley on 13 minutes to settle the nerves, but the Reds could not build on that.
After the break, Darwin Nunez was denied twice by Leeds keeper Illan Meslier, before a late Roberto Firmino shot was also smothered by the Leeds stopper.
Then Crysencio Summerville, who turned 21 on Sunday, started his birthday celebrations early, by expertly controlling the ball in the box before steering it past Alisson in the final minute. Game over.
With his Reds on 16 points, eight points outside the top four, after 12 games, Klopp insists they will not give up now.
He says: “You cannot qualify for the Champions League if you play as inconsistent as we do in the moment. So, how I said, we have to fix that and we will see where we end up.”
But with his team struggling to get their game together, defensively and in attack, the boss adds he will not make major changes with klompie mistakes killing their momentum.
Klopp explains: “It’s not now for a main overhaul and all these kind of things – no, you have to fight through and you have to fight for momentum, for confidence, for security.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za