Jürgen Klopp on Liverpool’s FA Cup Exit to Chelsea: We Deserved to Lose

Another loss. Welp.

Let’s be clear here: Liverpool were much better here, away to a much stronger side, than against Watford. An Adrian error and a brilliant goal from Ross Barkley (of all people) was the difference here. It’s one of those days. But Jürgen Klopp isn’t taking any excuses.

“I would really like if you stop mentioning it [the Watford loss]”, the Liverpool manager told BBC Sport. “But we deserved to lose because they scored twice and we made massive mistakes for both goals.

”After that it was a completely open game, we had three-four shots in a row in the first half and Sadio Mane was close to finishing but the intensity of the game is why we made some changes. We needed fresh legs and then it needs to settle a bit but conceding does not help. The boys reacted well, I liked it but the second goal is a problem and Chelsea defended physically well.

”We are not unlucky in these moments, we looked good and Adrian made a superb save initially before the first goal. We have to be ready in the moments. We played Chelsea and they play in counter-attacks and that is OK, in moments they struggled with us. A lot of parts of the performance I really liked. We know we have to improve, it is not about destiny, not about not clicking here or there, it is all about us and we have to take it in the right way. It is not the best three weeks of the whole season but it is a a chance to make it the best three weeks now and that is the plan.

”We are not interested in Atletico Madrid, it is all about Bournemouth. They are fighting with all they have and they did really well against Chelsea. Nobody has to feel sorry for us, we will win football games and that is what we want to do on Saturday.”

So this feels like a mini crisis now. I don’t know. I want to believe it’s nothing.