Thursday 31 December 2015 09:06, UK
Liverpool obeyed the pragmatic instructions of Jurgen Klopp in the 1-0 win at Sunderland, according to Adam Lallana.
As Liverpool ended the first half of the Premier League season, the result was all that mattered to Klopp, who ordered his team to go toe-to-toe with a Sunderland team fighting to avoid relegation.
"The manager has tried to drum into us that sometimes we've got to be dirtier, fight a bit more and play teams at their own game," said midfielder Lallana, who admitted there was luck involved in Christian Benteke's winning goal.
Lallana diverted Nathaniel Clyne's pass towards Benteke after only 22 seconds of the second half and the Belgian striker scored for the second successive match.
"I don't think I meant the flick to go directly into Christian's path but sometimes you need the rub of the green, especially at tough places like this," Lallana said.
Liverpool should have scored more in a game where Sunderland lacked an attacking edge, yet Klopp was still satisfied with a victory that lifted them into seventh place in the Premier League, five points from a Champions League place.
He has seen his side draw level with Manchester United, but believes Liverpool still have a crucial psychological advantage.
He said: "Both of us are on 30 points and at this moment Liverpool don't feel too bad, but at Manchester United the atmosphere is not the best.
"You can see how football is sometimes. We wanted 30 points and we got them - perfect. This is not the best we can do, we know this, but we had to fight. We knew about Sunderland's situation."
Benteke, who also scored the winner against Leicester on Boxing Day, has made a timely return to form and Klopp insists there is more to come.
"I'm sure that he can play better," said the Liverpool manager. "But at this moment he needs goals more than anything else."
