Jurgen Klopp apologised to Liverpool fans after their chastening derby defeat to Everton as he admitted his team need a “crisis” at Arsenal and Manchester City to have any hope of winning the title.
Liverpool were beaten at Goodison Park for the first time in nearly 14 years as Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin punished some dreadful defending.
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It leaves Klopp’s side three points behind leaders Arsenal, who have a superior goal difference, with just four matches left to play. Third-placed City are a point behind Liverpool with two games in hand.
“I really feel for the people. I am really sorry for that,” Klopp said.
“People told me so often what a great record we have in the derby. We never lost here before and it feels really different. I really apologise for that. It was unnecessary but it happened.
“I have no good thoughts at all. Very disappointed and frustrated. It was not good enough. We let the game happen the way Everton wanted. They scored two goals from set-pieces.
“The first one we defended somehow three times but in the end we put it on a plate, Branthwaite didn’t even kick the ball properly but it rolled over the line. After that we had our best period, putting them under pressure, creating big chances but we didn’t score.
“Each situation we missed gave Everton even more momentum. We never had it and that didn’t help. Second half it was not good enough without the real pressure phase like we had at the end of the first half.
“Then we conceded a second goal and I think everyone with Everton saw that goal already 20 times. Everyone knows their routine, they put the ball there, but he was completely free. I didn’t see it back but I’m pretty sure we could have defended it better. It was not the most inspired performance of all time.”
Asked for his thoughts on the title race, Klopp added: “I understand it, but you can all read the table. Do I say now we are still fully in?
“We need a crisis at City and Arsenal and we need to win football games. If they start losing all their games and we do what we did tonight then nothing will change and we’re not safe in the Champions League (places) either.
“We should just play better football. You can see we are in a rush in front of the goal. You cannot act like you have scored 15 goals in the last two games. You have to fight through these periods.
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“People ask me about mentality but it has different aspects. It is not a problem of attitude or whether the boys want it. No one is doing anything like that on purpose. It is my job to bring them into a situation where they feel confident to do it. That is the most tricky part of football. I am responsible. In the moment it didn’t work out. We have to keep trying.”
Klopp must now lift his players with Liverpool back in action on Saturday in the lunchtime kick-off away to West Ham.
“We have to recover as a quick turnaround is waiting for us,” he said.
“It will be a challenge both mentally and physically. Probably West Ham is waiting and rubbing their hands and hoping we come there on one leg, but I will try absolutely everything to make sure we are much more ourselves there.
“I would prefer to be sitting here winning 4-0 and flying. The job is to win football games and the more you win the more successful you are and in the moment we didn’t win enough to get anything out of the season yet. We should better start winning.”
GO DEEPER
The Briefing: Everton 2 Liverpool 0 - Klopp's first-ever Goodison defeat all but ends title dream
(Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
