Klopp applauds Man City after losing the Premier League to them by just one point
Liverpool gaffer Jurgen Klopp congratulates Man City on winning the Premier League title. Reds took it to the end but lost the title after Manchester City beat Aston Villa.
Liverpool’s Bad Luck
Liverpool rallied back to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 on Sunday. But it wasn’t enough to give them their second Premier League title. As they ended second, one point behind champions Manchester City, who beat Aston Villa 3-2.
After falling behind to an early Pedro Neto tap-in, goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah and late efforts from Andy Robertson gave the home fans hope.
Even if their fate was still dependent on what happened in Manchester.
They finished the season with 92 points, one point behind City for the second time in three years. But this time the Merseyside club have the other 2 domestic trophies in their bag in name of Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
Next Saturday, Jurgen Klopp’s side will compete in the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Match Summary
However, Wolves seized an early lead at Anfield on Sunday when defender Ibrahima Konate mishandled a bouncing ball from a goal kick. Allowing Raul Jimenez to sprint in behind on the right and pick up Neto for his first season goal.
In the 24th minute, Mane was released free by a clever Thiago Alcantara backheel to charge towards the goal. And strike an effort so furious that goalkeeper Jose Sa could barely get a hand to it before it went in.
Due to an injury, Sa was replaced by John Ruddy at halftime. And Liverpool quickly brought in Salah, who had been rested from the start, in quest of the game-winner. Salah peppered efforts at goal, only to see them consistently blocked by Wolves defenders.
The mood became frenetic as a word from the stands spread that City had lost 2-0 to Villa and that the title would be decided at Anfield if Liverpool could score.
Salah squeezed in a loose ball in the box seven minutes before full-time to give them the lead. The Egyptian’s 23rd goal of the season tied him with Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min for the most goals in the Premier League.
Full back Late in the game, Andy Robertson added gloss to the scoreline by slipping in Roberto Firmino’s cutback.
However, City had already completed their own comeback with a 3-2 win over Villa. Ensuring that they kept the title and Liverpool finished second.
Jurgen Klopp Lauds Man City
The gaffer congratulated City and said:
With all the things, I would have preferred if they were 5-0 after 10 minutes and then you play the game and it’s fine. So it makes it of course more difficult. But the season was so close, so tight. Moments, decisions, these kinds of things, when you are one point apart. What I learned about life is if you stay on track, if you keep going, you’ll get a reward. Not today, the maximum reward, but we will get it. It’s about us keeping going and that’s what we will do. Congratulations to Man City, Pep Guardiola, all staff, all players, and the whole club, for being champions. We were close but, in the end, not close enough. That’s how it is.
Klopp also asked his Liverpool men to not get distracted by the loss. And focus entirely on the Champions League Final against Real Madrid.
He said:
We have now five days to prepare for the final and that’s what we’ll do. Then we will face an incredibly experienced team. But it’s OK. Of course, losing the league today increases the desire to put it right next week.
Liverpool will face Real Madrid for the UCL final on 28th May. It will be the Reds’ 3rd UCL final in 5 years.
