Liverpool FC fails late: Klopp freaks out – and is punished

Liverpool FC fail late
Klopp freaks out – and is punished

Needed by David

Liverpool FC does not use the mistakes of their pursuers against newly promoted West Bromwich Albion. In one scene, team manager Jürgen Klopp freaks out so madly that he is warned. Star striker Mohamed Salah is also causing a stir.

After two of Liverpool's closest pursuers, Leicester City and Manchester United, stole each other's points in a 2-2 draw the day before and Chelsea lost with international striker Timo Werner at Arsenal, the Reds had the English matchday on the 15th Premier League the chance to extend their league lead. But in the 1: 1 (1: 0) against newly promoted West Bromwich Albion, Jürgen Klopp's team also messed up and now has only three instead of five points ahead of the new table runners-up Everton FC.

In front of a few spectators, Liverpool FC had the game under control from the start. Striker Sadio Mané made it 1-0 early on. In the twelfth minute, the Senegalese took a half-high cross from the barely attacked Joel Matips with his chest, turned half around his own axis and dropped the ball into the left corner of the goal.

In the further course, the Reds missed several opportunities. West Brom did not take place at first, but increased in the second half. However, initially it was not enough for a hit. This was not achieved by Trent Alexander-Arnold either, despite several free kicks worth seeing. A downer for Klopp: Shortly after the restart, Matip injured his adductors and had to be replaced, thus increasing the defensive worries of the German coach.

Klopp himself then moved into focus in the 61st minute. Rhys Williams, who came into play for Matip, interrupted an opponent's counterattack by fouling the center line, but the Reds coach had obviously seen the scene differently. Klopp freaked out loudly and didn't stop gesturing towards referee Kevin Friend. The referee then showed the still stinking coach the yellow card. Only last week, after the defeat of his Tottenham Hotspur against Liverpool, Spurs coach José Mourinho had teased Klopp: "If I acted like him on the sidelines, I would no longer be there."

After a rehearsed corner variation, the newcomer struck (82nd): Semi Ajayi rose higher than all defenders and put his massive header on the right post. From there the game device jumped back into the field, hopped along the goal line and finally rolled into the Liverpool goal due to the spin. Klopp took it with an ironic smile, but at that moment it should have been simmering again inside.

Just one reason to leave Liverpool

Liverpool never made it into the flow of the game from half time one in the second half. The late compensation was the logical consequence. In the 90th minute, Roberto Firmino finally missed the best chance of equalization: West Bromwich's goalkeeper defused his header. After five wins on the Boxing Day matchday, Klopp dropped points for the first time.

In the run-up to the game there was again a stir about striker star Mohamed Salah because of an interview with the Spanish newspaper "As" that was a week old. In it, the Egyptian had complained that he was not allowed to lead the team as captain in the final Champions League group game at FC Midtjylland. He was subsequently said to have had a falling out with Klopp and a change of attacker was discussed.

Sure, "you can't force anyone to stay, but that was it. By the way, we've never done that before," said Klopp. "It's just that I wouldn't understand why anyone would want to leave in the first place." The only reason to leave Liverpool at the moment would be, according to the coach: "The weather. What other reason should there be? This is one of the world's biggest clubs. We pay good money. We have a sensational stadium with great fans, we have Followers all over the world, and our color is red, which is the prettiest color anyway. "

. (tagsToTranslate) Football (t) Jürgen Klopp (t) FC Liverpool (t) Premier League (t) Mohamed Salah