EPL

Liverpool loss 'massive blow' to Champions League hopes, admits Klopp

By Sports Desk March 04, 2021

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted the Premier League loss to Chelsea is a "massive blow" to the club's top-four hopes.

Thursday saw Liverpool's season crash to a new low, the struggling defending champions beaten 1-0 by resurgent visitors Chelsea at Anfield.

Having previously gone three-and-a-half years without a Premier League defeat on home soil, Liverpool have now lost their last five home outings – the longest run in the club's history.

Liverpool, who are first reigning English top-flight champions to lose five home league games in a row, are languishing in seventh position – four points adrift in the race for Champions League qualification and 22 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

"It is a massive blow," German boss Klopp told Sky Sports.

"It is not done yet, but we don't have to talk about if you lose that many games, you don't have the right to go to the Champions League.

"We have to win football games and we know that and we will work on it, but for tonight, it was not enough."

Liverpool have earned just 10 points from 11 Premier League matches in 2021 – only West Brom (nine), Newcastle United (seven) and Southampton (four) picking up fewer.

Star Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold added: "Tough to take. These are the games that we need to win, especially with our aims and targets for the season. I'd say pushing for the top four, it's massively important that we won today.

"But there's nothing we can do about it now, except learn from it and pull out what we could have done better and go again. We're on a quick turnaround to put things right on Sunday."

Related items

  • Massimiliano Allegri looking for strong end to season as Juventus eye twin goal Massimiliano Allegri looking for strong end to season as Juventus eye twin goal

    Juventus’ Serie A title challenge may well be over for another year but coach Massimiliano Allegri is still looking for a strong finish to the season.

    The Turin giants last claimed the scudetto in 2020 but their hopes of ending that run this campaign have all-but disappeared after winning just one of their last eight games.

    That means the third-placed Bianconeri will go into this weekend’s trip to Lazio a massive 17 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan with only nine league games left.

    However, with a top-four spot yet to be secured and the Coppa Italia up for grabs – Juve face Lazio in the first leg of their semi-final next Tuesday – Allegri’s men still have plenty to play for as action resumes after the international break.

    Allegri told a press conference: “The players who have returned from international duty are well, and those who stayed with us worked a lot on the pitch.

    “Now we’re all ready for that final push to the finish line, we have 55 days to take us to the end of the season.

    “The most important thing for us now is that we’re all focused on the end of the season.

    “We’ve dropped a lot of points and we have to be realistic. In the second half of the season we’ve only picked up 13 points, and now we have 27 to play for to consolidate our place in the Champions League spots.

    “Then there’s the Italian Cup, and on Tuesday we have another important game against Lazio hoping to stay in the fight for silverware. We have to think about that too.”

    Allegri, who said Italy forward Moise Kean will start against Lazio as he looks to push his Euro 2024 claims, is set to take charge of his 500th Serie A match this weekend.

    The 56-year-old former AC Milan and Cagliari coach said: “I’m pleased to have reached 500 games in charge, and it’s evidence of my desire, passion and love for the job and this sport. I want to have fun still and I love being out on the pitch.”

  • John Swift on the spot to salvage point for West Brom at Millwall John Swift on the spot to salvage point for West Brom at Millwall

    John Swift’s penalty rescued a point for play-off chasing West Brom as they extended their unbeaten run to seven league games with a 1-1 draw at Millwall.

    The Lions controlled the first half and were a goal ahead at the break after a fine finish from Duncan Watmore.

    However, Swift converted a penalty to ensure the Baggies sealed a seventh game unbeaten in all competitions for the first time since their 2019/20 Championship campaign.

    A lively pre-match atmosphere intensified ahead of kick-off as West Brom’s players took the knee to a chorus of boos from the home fans.

    The Den got even louder when referee James Bell waved away appeals for handball after Kyle Bartley blocked George Honeyman’s cross inside the box.

    Zian Flemming won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area in the 17th minute having surged straight through the Baggies’ defence. However, his driven effort from the resulting set-piece deflected behind for a corner.

    The pressure finally told four minutes later when Watmore pounced on a loose ball before calmly stroking it past Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer to give the hosts the lead.

    Carlos Corberan’s side were struggling to deal with Millwall’s direct approach and it should have been 2-0 when Michael Obafemi went through on goal from a long ball but his effort was straight at Palmer.

    Watmore almost turned provider with 10 minutes left of the half, orchestrating some neat play on the edge of the box before feeding Billy Mitchell, who fired wide from close range.

    The visitors finally got on the front foot as the half drew to a close but former Millwall favourite Jed Wallace scuffed his shot after being picked out by Grady Diangana.

    Corberan’s side maintained that pressure at the start of the second half, whipping several dangerous balls into the box and controlling possession.

    Watmore missed a golden opportunity to give his side a two-goal cushion in the 57th minute, blasting the ball over the bar from the centre of the box.

    Obafemi was fouled just outside the area as the Lions appeared to retake control of the clash and moments later Honeyman forced a desperate block from Conor Townsend.

    However, Millwall were made to pay for missed opportunities in the 67th minute when Diangana appeared to be tripped by Joe Bryan inside the penalty area.

    Bell pointed to the penalty spot and Swift made no mistake, firing the ball into the bottom-left corner.

    The Baggies were almost ahead moments later after Alex Mowatt was picked out on the edge of the box by Tom Fellows but his strike did not trouble Millwall stopper Matija Sarkic.

    Neither side created a clear-cut chance during a quiet end to a fiery encounter in South London.

  • Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool assessing Andy Robertson injury ‘day by day’ Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool assessing Andy Robertson injury ‘day by day’

    Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will take things “day by day” with Andy Robertson as he indicated the left-back’s injury was not serious.

    Robertson was being assessed by the Reds after coming off in the first half of Scotland’s friendly against Northern Ireland on Tuesday due to an ankle issue.

    Speaking at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home clash with Brighton, Liverpool boss Klopp said: “Robbo, we take it a little bit day by day, so we will see.

    “He will not train today but it’s not as bad, so that’s fine.”

    Klopp – whose side after the Brighton game continue their title bid by hosting Sheffield United next Thursday, then playing Manchester United away three days later – also reported that Darwin Nunez, a withdrawal from Uruguay’s squad as the international break got under way, was “fine”.

    Ibrahima Konate, absent for Liverpool’s last three games, is set to be available this weekend as well, and while Klopp said he was unsure if that applied to Curtis Jones, the midfielder has been training.

    Liverpool have also had Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota on the sidelines, and Klopp added: “The other boys, from next week on, step by step I think they will join parts of team training, and then team training, so we will see what we do with that.

    “They’re not too far away but not in yet. They all make their steps, so it’s positive.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.