premier league
Klopp-Elf stops Haaland: Liverpool beats Man City
Mohamed Salah (r) celebrates his winning goal. photo
© Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
Jürgen Klopp achieves a much-needed prestige success with Liverpool FC. In a duel with Man City and fellow coach Pep Guardiola, the crisis ended spectacularly. Klopp is still angry.
Liverpool FC has spectacularly ended its crisis and slowed down goal monster Erling Haaland.
In front of the noisy crowd at Anfield Stadium, coach Jürgen Klopp’s team won 1-0 (0-0) against the previously undefeated English soccer champions, for whom Haaland had previously scored 15 goals in nine Premier League games. Klopp saw the red card in the final stages due to angry protests. “We put up a great fight,” said Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
The coach had called for a turnaround after Liverpool’s worst start to the season in ten years. And its professionals delivered. The outstanding Mohamed Salah (76th minute) scored for the injured home side, who had to do without Luis Diaz and Naby Keita, among others. “Hopefully that gives us confidence,” said Salah, but admitted: “We don’t have to think about the title at the moment.”
After a relatively balanced first half, a toxic game developed in the second half. Salah had his first chance to put Liverpool ahead five minutes after the restart. But City goalkeeper Ederson parried with his fingertips. Almost in return, Phil Foden scored for the Cityzens. But the goal didn’t count according to video evidence because assist provider Erling Haaland had previously fouled Fabinho.
Penalty for Klopp
Three days after the spectacular 7-1 victory over Glasgow Rangers in the Champions League, Liverpool played a thrilling game against Man City. Twice the Reds missed the opportunity in the closing stages because Darwin Núñez failed to pass the ball to the free-standing Salah and substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold failed to convert an assist.
The game cost both coaches nerves. Klopp protested furiously against a foul on Salah and was sent to the stands by the referee in the 86th minute.
For Liverpool it was only the third win in the ninth game of the season. The Klopp team is eighth in the Premier League table. The gap to defending champions City is still ten points, leaders FC Arsenal are already 14 points ahead. Klopp had already ticked off the race for the championship after the worst start to the season for Liverpool in ten years.