‘We lost the plot’: Jurgen Klopp credits Aston Villa for forcing error-strewn Liverpool performance

Villa inflicted a brutal 7-2 defeat on the champions

Karl Matchett
Sunday 04 October 2020 22:12 BST
Comments
Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager
Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to the performance of Aston Villa after his Liverpool team were hammered 7-2 in the Premier League - and said his team did everything possible wrong on the night.

The reigning champions had won three games from three heading into the encounter on Sunday evening, but got off to a terrible start and never recovered as Dean Smith’s side ran riot at Villa Park.

Klopp pointed to defensive errors, a lack of reaction from his team, bad decision-making and dismal on-the-ball actions as to reasons why Liverpool conceded so many, but credited the home side for “forcing” those moments.

“I can tell you what I saw. It was a game which, for different reasons, Aston Villa did really well tonight and forced all the mistakes we made,” he told Sky Sports at full time.

"We played in their cards with the first two goals, the third massively…and of course then the game has a specific direction.

"Adrian made a mistake and it had an impact, but it shouldn’t. The reaction wasn’t good, we lost the plot, our creating in the last third was really good but when Villa won the ball, each time was a counter-attack - our protection was [below] average.

"Our good moments led to nothing apart from the two goals, theirs led to a big chance or goal [every time].

“They were flying, we were pretty open; all the things you should not do in a football game we did tonight - but credit to Villa because they made us do it.”

Klopp hopes that his team have essentially got all their poor performances out of the way in one abysmal 90-minute showing, as the Reds face the early pace-setters Everton in the Merseyside derby after the international break.

“It looked like we put all our rubbish things in one game. Tonight it was not sloppy, it was bad. I would love to have a training session tomorrow but the boys are going to their national teams…so I have time to find the words for the boys and we’ll use the two days before the derby.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in