Klopp impressed with Liverpool calm after contentious Burnley goal

Jurgen Klopp was impressed with the way Liverpool kept their cool as they fought back from a contentious opening goal to beat Burnley 4-2 on Sunday.

Two goals apiece from Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane at Anfield got the Reds back to winning ways and moved them to within a point of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

The home side went 3-1 ahead after conceding just six minutes into the match, when Ashley Westwood’s corner curled into the net with goalkeeper Alisson claiming he was obstructed by Burnley players in the box.

Liverpool also survived a nervy few moments in second-half injury time, with Mane scoring his side’s fourth after Johann Gudmundsson had made it 3-2 in the 91st minute.

Klopp felt Burnley’s opener should not have stood, but the manner of his players’ response left him feeling proud.

“I couldn’t see it back, but I think the first goal, in a lot of countries, it would have been disallowed,” he told BT Sport.

Job done   pic.twitter.com/2As8iACBWq

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 10, 2019

“You cannot go in the goalkeeper like this. That, of course, never helps. It’s early, which is good rather than bad – an early goal, after eight minutes or so, is not a massive problem.

“We kept it as calm as possible, we played with the majority of possession, scored the goals, forced the goals, actually, with two brilliant moments.

“We had more chances, they defended with passion and so we didn’t decide it. When it was 3-1, we didn’t finish it off and that’s of course not cool.

“We only needed three points. Goal difference is important as well, but what can you do, especially with the first goal? What can I say to the boys – ‘you have to defend it better?’ That’s not possible.

“Score as many goals as possible – that’s what we tried in a difficult game against a good, organised Burnley side. I actually cannot imagine a lot of shots on goal from Burnley, maybe two or three, but we had more.”

Adam Lallana made the most of only his fourth Premier League start of the season with a strong performance, which included making a block on the edge of the Burnley box that led to Mane scoring Liverpool’s second.

“Good, good, good, it was exactly what we expected,” Klopp said of his display. “As well as the block, it was the counter-pressing in that moment – that’s Adam’s strength as well.

“He played a really good game. We changed him a bit later, Gini [Wijnaldum] suffered a little bit today so we changed him first, but a very good game from Adam.”