Klopp Talk: It Was Really Tough To Take

Sure, let’s just have everyone take a turn at this point.

For the second week in a row, Liverpool squandered a solid performance with a shocking late collapse, surrendering a lead to fall 3-1 to Leicester City. After going ahead with a league-leading 17^th strike from Mohamed Salah, a seven-minute Liverpool meltdown that included both a controversial VAR call and a catastrophic defensive mix up between Alisson and new boy Ozan Kabak saw the Reds concede three goals in quick succession to leave the defending champions stunned.

Manager, Jurgen Klopp struggled to find positives following the game, conceding that VAR upholding referee Anthony Taylor’s decision to deem Daniel Amartey both onside and not interfering with James Maddison's equalizing free kick goal was difficult to overcome:

“Accepting this with a smile is not easy,” the German said in a post-match interview with BT Sport. “We worked hard to be 1-0 up and it’s gone with a tough decision. Especially Ali[sson] who had three players in front of him and thought it was offside.”

Upon review, Klopp suggested that video referee did not select the correct moment of the play to assess offside: “It was a really tough one to take. VAR was a turning point in the game. I have seen it a couple of times and the moment where they stopped the situation [Maddison] didn’t even touch the ball yet.”

There was no point of contention for the remaining goals however, as the second involved Alisson and Kabak colliding in trying to deal with an aerial ball, allowing Jamie Vardy to finish into an open net. It makes for a second straight game in which the Reds’ no. 1 seized the headlines for the wrong reason, coming off the back of errors leading to two goals last week against Manchester City.

“We tried absolutely everything. We were confident again. Ali played a super game, maybe because of last week he comes out. Ozan doesn’t know him long enough—that is how it leads to the second goal.

“The third one, lose the ball too easily and we are done. That is something I don’t like. I told the boys that already it is not okay.”

It is a loss—Klopp’s first to ex-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers—that leaves the title holders hanging to fourth place by a thread, but was not the only negative on the day as the boss incredulously revealed yet another untimely defensive injury, this time to another one of their new signings:

“Ben Davies picked up a little knock as well, it is unbelievable,” Klopp concluded almost in disbelief.