Jurgen Klopp believes luck evaded Liverpool in Man City defeat
Leaders slip to first defeat of the season as the champions cut the gap at the top to four points
Thursday 3 January 2019 23:12, UK
Jurgen Klopp believes fortune favoured Manchester City as Liverpool's relentless start to the season was halted at the Etihad Stadium.
The champions inflicted a 2-1 defeat on the Premier League leaders - their first loss of the season - to cut the Reds' lead at the top to four points.
"There was big pressure on the game, it was a very intense game," Klopp told Sky Sports. "We were very unlucky in our finishing moments, a bit unluckier than City.
"If you compare the goals when [Leroy] Sane scores and the situation we had when [Sadio] Mane hit the post. We are talking about an inch or so. That was the main difference.
"Of course, they had periods where they dominated the game but we came back in the game and had big chances. You have to score in those moments.
"I think everybody can see why we have the points we have. It wasn't our best game and it wasn't City's best game because we made life difficult for each other. We were in the game.
"We could have drawn, we could have won it and that's how it is. However, we lost it and it was clear that would happen at some point. It's not nice but not the biggest problem."
Roberto Firmino's equaliser midway through the second half looked to have preserved Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season after Sergio Aguero's seventh goal in seven home games against the Reds had put City ahead five minutes after half-time.
But parity lasted just eight minutes as Sane fired City's winner off the post, leaving Liverpool to come to terms with their first league defeat since May 6.
Asked whether his side's reaction to the loss would prove telling, Klopp replied: "How can I say that?
"So far the boys have done outstandingly well. What kind of reaction do we want to see? We strike back. We lost at Manchester City but we have to show constantly that we are on top of our game.
"Now in four days it's FA Cup and a few days later it's Brighton so we will be ready for that, 100 per cent.
"For tonight, the boys tried everything, and we got nothing for it. That's sometimes how it is in life but if you do everything all the time you will get a lot for it. We need to keep going and everything will be fine for us."
