Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool ‘don’t deserve’ to be in Champions League after Newcastle draw

The Reds are now on the outside looking in, having played a game more than West Ham and Chelsea

Jack Rathborn
Saturday 24 April 2021 15:04 BST
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Jurgen Klopp admitted his Liverpool side do not deserve to be in the Champions League next season after conceding a late equaliser to draw against Newcastle.

Joe Willock’s 95th minute goal earned a point for Steve Bruce’s side, just moments after being denied an equaliser by VAR when Callum Wilson was adjudged to have handled before netting.

And with the champions now one point behind West Ham in fifth and Chelsea in fourth, who both square off later today, Klopp was frank about his side’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

“We always said, if you deserve it, you deserve it,” Klopp told BT Sport. “From what I saw today, I don’t think we deserved it, another five games, we play United. Either we learn, or we don’t play Champions League.”

Klopp was also bewildered by his side’s inability to put away the Magpies, despite 22 attempts on goal and nine on target.

“I don’t think you can create chances after chances and don’t finish the game off,” Klopp added. “We didn’t play enough, we just had to do it again and again.

“We have to keep going, keep the ball, let them run, but we kept them alive. They deserved the goal. We don’t even take this present, we were lucky with this decision, it makes no sense, it’s tough to take.

“We created a lot of chances, didn’t score, but we have to create more. When you don’t score the second or the third, a missed chance is just information, we don’t do that well. It feels like a defeat.”

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