Leeds won 2-1 at Anfield to consign Liverpool to a fourth Premier League defeat of the season; Jurgen Klopp: "You cannot defend like we defended around the second goal - it's just not possible. But we did and I'm not sure how to explain that now"
Sunday 30 October 2022 17:30, UK
Jurgen Klopp bemoaned Liverpool's defending for Leeds' winning goal and their general lack of control as their stuttering start to the season continued with a 2-1 loss at Anfield.
Liverpool were condemned to a second consecutive Premier League defeat when Crysencio Summerville latched onto a loose ball and fired a low finish into the bottom corner in the 89th minute.
Earlier, a defensive mix-up had allowed Rodrigo to put Leeds in front, with Mohamed Salah scoring Liverpool's equaliser before a string of outstanding saves from visiting goalkeeper Illan Meslier allowed Summerville to clinch Leeds a memorable victory.
The result leaves Klopp's side in ninth place in the Premier League, 13 points behind Manchester City and, even more worryingly, eight points behind fourth-placed Newcastle.
"A setback, absolutely," Klopp told Sky Sports. "I thought we had a really good start to the game then we conceded a freakish goal.
"We scored the equaliser, but it didn't give us the complete security back for whatever reason. We struggled with controlling the game, which is difficult against a side with the speed they have up front.
"We gave too many balls away. The boys really tried, we had a lot of possession, we had big chances.
"But the problem is we cannot control this kind of game in the moment, and that's obviously a problem.
"With the amount of games we have, maybe some players are a little bit overplayed.
"But if you don't finish your situations off, they are there and that changed the game completely in the moment.
"If we are 2-1 up or 1-0 up then that would obviously be helpful, but it's not a given for us in the moment, and so we have to fight against it and that's what we will obviously do."
Of Liverpool's slack defending for Summerville's winner, Klopp added: "You cannot defend like we defended around the second goal - it's just not possible.
"But we did and I'm not sure how to explain that now. It's happened anyway and that's why we lost.
"Otherwise, it would have been a point which would have been deserved as well and then we take a point and go from there but now we have nothing which feels completely different."
Asked how he can solve Liverpool's problems, Klopp said: "With working.
"It's not that it's gone, it's that it is more difficult for us to in the moment to bring our quality on the pitch. That's the situation you have to go through. We accept that and we fight against it.
"We had problems from the first day, that's obvious. Injury wise, some players have to play then too often, and others come back and have to play too early. The games are coming thick and fast, so that's the situation we have."
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch was delighted to see his side's efforts rewarded as the victory took them out of the relegation zone and eased the pressure on his shoulders.
"It was a good performance again and it was good that we were able to reward ourselves. My feeling is we shouldn't be in this situation we're in, but we are. I've tried to stay calm but also tried to push.
"The group is strong and they're committed, so I'm thankful to have them. I think they stepped up big today and they're the reason why we were able to get the win.
"I've believed in this group. We shouldn't be in this situation - if you look at the metrics, we should not be in this situation, but we are and we've tried to maximise it at all moments. We needed something like this and now we've got to stay strong.
"We're still in a process here of trying to build something that's new and you can see in our good moments we're really good and then in our bad moments, we look too vulnerable and naive.
"But today we reduced the bad moments and increased the good moments, and then we were able to get a result.
"Everybody's made a big deal about me and firing me and I'm the problem, but the board has been with me.
"We've all been unified, we've stuck together so it's always 'we'."
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
Liverpool's Champions League clash with Ajax had provided some respite, the 3-0 win securing their place in the last 16. But back at Anfield three days later, all the problems that have dogged their domestic campaign came rushing back.
This was the eighth time in 12 Premier League games they have conceded the first goal and on this occasion it took only four minutes, Joe Gomez's wayward backpass catching Alisson Becker out of position and allowing Leeds forward Rodrigo to score.
Liverpool fought back, peppering the Leeds goal with shots after Mohamed Salah had brought them level, but Crysencio Summerville's late strike eventually won it, that early mix-up between Gomez and Alisson setting the tone for another bewilderingly meek defensive performance.
Gomez was poor, at fault for the opener only a week after his error allowed Nottingham Forest to score their winner at the City Ground, but he was not alone. Virgil van Dijk, alongside him in central defence, again looked like a player who has lost his aura.
The Dutchman failed to close down Summerville for the winner and others were found wanting in that passage of play too. "You cannot defend like we defended around the second goal," said Klopp. "But we did and I'm not sure how to explain that now."
It is similarly difficult to explain what is happening in midfield, where Fabinho, so imperious for so long under Klopp, again struggled badly. So badly, in fact, that he was withdrawn after only an hour.
Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness spoke of Liverpool being "bullied" while Klopp bemoaned an inability to control games. All of the problems stem from the centre, where the core of a once great side appears to be growing weaker by the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold says Liverpool could benefit from the mid-season break during the World Cup, admitting "something's not going right".
Manager Klopp said prior to the Leeds defeat that he expects to see a different Liverpool following the tournament in Qatar and his right-back appears to agree with him.
"I think it's important for us to regroup, assess what's going wrong," he told the Liverpool website. "I think right now, it's kind of, 'pick up as many points as you can now going into this break (for the World Cup, which starts on November 20).'
"And potentially this break will come at a decent time for us to reset and be able to get our heads straight to go into the second half of the season."
Alexander-Arnold added: "I'd say we all believe in ourselves, we believe in the way we play, the squad and what we can achieve.
"But I think when you do get setbacks, it can potentially make you second-guess yourself and question things.
"Clearly as a team something's not going right, it's not going as well as we want it to go. That's something for everyone to think about, for everyone to address and make sure we put it right, especially next week against Spurs, top-four rivals.
"We kind of need to go there and get some points if we've got any chance of reaching our aims and aspirations for the season."
Tuesday November 1
Liverpool vs Napoli - Champions League, kick-off 8pm
Sunday November 6
Spurs vs Liverpool - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
Wednesday November 9
Liverpool vs Derby County - Carabao Cup, kick-off 8pm
Saturday November 12
Liverpool vs Southampton - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
