Liverpool FC slumped to a 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace giving recently appointed manager Jurgen Klopp his first taste of defeat.
Childhood Liverpool FC fan, Scott Dann, became their nemesis as he headed in the winner on the 82nd minute to help Crystal Palace overcome them at Anfield. While Liverpool FC were generally in control of the game, a few defensive lapses and the absence of the finishing touch to goal scoring manoeuvres proved to be their downfall.
This was German manager Jurgen Klopp’s first loss as a Liverpool FC manager after a run of draws and the victories against Chelsea and Rubin Kazan in the past week. Liverpool FC looked to be a bit run down from their European exertions and were only lured into action after Yannick Bolasie scored the first goal in the 21st minute.
They dominated for a long period after that with arguably their best player Phillipe Coutinho scoring the equalizer late in the first half. But defensive lapses, a disappointing performance by the, hitherto impressive, Emre Can and lacklustre finishing by their striker up front Christian Benteke, led them to lose all 3 points when the late goal came from Palace.
These flaws were pointed out by analysts during the game, who also praised Crystal Palace’s gusto and resourcefulness. The Guardian was of the opinion that, ‘this was an absorbing contest and Christian Benteke squandered several chances, but the visitorsa defence and counter-attacking play were outstanding. It was the perfect combination for an eye-catching away win.’
. Klopp talk
In the post match press conference, uploaded on the fan site Thisisanfield.com, Jurgen Klopp spoke about the loss, saying that, “With the start for us in this game, we opened the door a little bit for Crystal Palace. We were asking for the first goal. “My problem with the team is we have to play 95 minutes and if you’re satisfied with 60 minutes sometimes it’s enough. Sometimes it’s not. Today it’s not. It’s important that we lost today. It’s good that we lost today. (so we can) be more awake from the beginning.”
He also addressed Liverpool FC’s exertions in the Europa League implying that it could be a reason but not an excuse.
“Between the game against Rubin Kazan and today. The question was isn’t it too much. But I decide when I’m tired not anybody else. But if you can start after 15 minutes you can start in the first minute. Not a problem. But today we needed a few minutes to come in and it was too late for this game.” he said.
Anfield needs a finisher
Liverpool FC generally dominated the game with 66% possession, 22 shots on goal and 14 corners. There were a number of chances created as well but the finishing was poor in general with Christian Benteke unable to convert the chances he was provided with by the midfield.
Jurgen Klopp has had to deal with the fact that his best strikers like Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings are out injured, while Divock Origi has failed to impress. Christian Benteke looks to still be recovering from his injury woes and struggled throughout the match. The game play by Liverpool FC has, however, noticeably improved and an in-form striker could be a game changer.