The manager of Liverpool football club, Jurgen Klopp has given up on the battle to retain the Premier League title the club won last season after 1-4 humiliation of the club by Manchester City.
Manchester City have always found it impossible to have a positive result against Liverpool at Anfield, but on Sunday, February 7, 2021, Pep Guardiola led City to Anfield and got the better of Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool that was touted to be a team to beat in the league were a shadow of themselves against City as they struggled to put their visitors under control. The only period Liverpool were able to manage the game was in the first half but immediately the second half kicked off, it was an endless assault on the reigning Premier League champions.
The assault started in the 49th minute of the game when Ilkay Gundogan who earlier missed a penalty, scored the first goal of the match. Minutes later, Liverpool equalized through a spot-kick brilliantly taken by Mohamed Salah.
Afterward, Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson helped Manchester City to grab the three points comfortably by making two unnecessary blunders. One of the goalkeeper’s blunders returned Gundogan to the scoresheet in the 73rd minute.
When Liverpool thought they could still fight their way back into the game, Alisson made the second blunder that led to Manchester City’s third goal in the 76th minute through the boots of Raheem Sterling.
Coach Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool who could not believe how dismantled his team was, could not come up with answers to the questions Pep Guardiola’s men were asking his team. The misfortunes of the Premier League champions became worse in the 83rd minute, thanks to a brilliant goal from Phil Foden.
After the 4-1 bashing of Liverpool at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp had to confess that Liverpool’s main target is nothing but to finish the 2020-2021 season in the league’s top four.
“That is of course our main target, that is clear,” Klopp said. “We will try everything.
“There are enough games to play to secure that – but we have to win games and tonight we didn’t.”
A statement victory! 🔥
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 7, 2021
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/HhOaQdSYJH
The 4-1 defeat in the hands of Manchester City, left Liverpool on the 4th spot on the league table with 40 points in 23 league games. The scary part is that the club is just a point away from 5th placed Chelsea.
This means that a defeat or draw in Liverpool’s league match against Leicester City on February 13, 2021, could force the club down from the top four if Chelsea win their next league match which is against Newcastle United on February 15.
Jurgen Klopp suspects that Liverpool Goalkeeper Alisson grew cold feet
Alisson has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world since he helped Liverpool to win UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title in 2020. But on Sunday, February 7, the world saw a terrible version of the Brazilian goalkeeper.
When Liverpool were playing 1-1 with Manchester City, Alisson decided to bring out the worst aspect of him by making two unnecessary blunders which gave Manchester City two more goals to make it 3-1. And then Foden completed the assault with a brilliant goal.
When asked about the performance of the goalkeeper, Jurgen Klopp noted that the Brazilian goalkeeper has been saving the club in numerous games and wonders if the goalkeeper has grown cold feet.
“You cannot hide them”, Klopp said. “It’s two [instances] where we didn’t give him a lot of options, especially around the first one. I think the second one, yeah, he just mis-hit the ball.
“I don’t know, it’s not a real explanation for it but maybe he had cold feet or something. It sounds funny but could be. But there’s still the opportunity to kick it in the stands.
“But Ali has saved our life plenty of times, no doubt about that, and tonight he made two mistakes and that’s how it is.”
