Jürgen Klopp Sees Danger in West Ham’s Loss to Manchester City

The Reds’ next match is against West Ham United at Anfield on Monday evening. Following Liverpool’s loss to Atlético Madrid, Jürgen Klopp had an opportunity to watch David Moyes’ team play Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday.

City came out 2-0 winners but Klopp observed plenty about West Ham’s tactical ethos during the match to be wary of the Hammers.

“They didn’t have Anderson on the pitch and they didn’t have Haller on the pitch. I know both and like a lot. Lanzini was on the bench. So, you see the quality they have.

“I saw the game. And with all the brilliance which we know about Man City, it was a set-piece the first goal and the second goal, it was a super situation with Kevin De Bruyne obviously but, in the end it was a little bit scrappy with Bernardo Silva. A super goal (by Rodrigo) but [West Ham] were not outplayed like you would expect when City’s on the pitch.

“They fought really hard. They defended the box with all they had. Didn’t have a lot of possession, obviously. So, I wouldn’t expect them to go for much more possession against us but they will defend again with all they have.”

Having struggled to break down Atlético’s low block on Tuesday, Klopp will need to find a way to infuse more dynamism into his attack. To my mind, Naby Keita is the manager’s best option for added attacking midfield unpredictability. Sadio Mané will also return to the side with fresh vigor after his precautionary, red card-avoiding substitution in Madrid.

Monday night is an oddball night for a match but the manager knows how important Anfield is to his team’s success. Klopp went on to impress upon supporters in the stadium on Monday the need for a rousing atmosphere. Liverpool need a bounce back after Atlético and can’t allow any perceived dip in their form to gift West Ham a psychological advantage.