adminLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed his side’s composure as they struck deep in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win over a dogged Newcastle United side in a tense Premier League clash at Anfield on Wednesday.
After smashing nine past Bournemouth at the weekend, Liverpool struggled until substitute Fabio Carvalho rifled home the winner in the eighth minute of added time.
“It feels like this is the best way to win a football game – to be honest, I don’t need it every week, but if you can do it once or twice it’s really good,” Klopp told BT Sport.
“I told the boys at halftime even before we went 1-0 down we looked a bit desperate in situations when we didn’t play the extra pass. When we did that we were immediately really dangerous,” he said.
“We had to force ourselves to keep calm a little bit more and to keep going, and in the end we forced it.”
Klopp paid tribute to Carvalho, who turned 20 on Tuesday and has made a great start since joining the club from Fulham in May.
“He is very important for us, and if a boy is as good as he is, then he needs the (big) moments as well, like to really get it and that goal obviously helps them out,” the 55-year-old coach said.
Having taken the lead through club-record signing Alexander Isak in the first half, Newcastle had done everything they could to run down the clock, much to the annoyance of the home team.
“I think that we scored up in 90 plus eight (minutes) is the perfect response. To that to be honest. And I’m really happy about that,” Klopp said. – SuperSport.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter