“Not the score we wanted but there are two different stories to tell” – Jurgen Klopp reacts to Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Brighton
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that there are two stories to tell from his team's disappointing Premier League draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (October 1).
The Reds saw themselves trailing by two goals after Leandro Trossard's quick-fire brace within 17 minutes of kick-off. Roberto Firmino's 33rd-minute strike halved the deficit going into the break.
The Brazil international scored again nine minutes after the start of the second half before Adam Webster's 63rd-minute own goal completed the Reds' comeback. Alisson Becker made some important saves throughout the match but couldn't do anything about Trossard's third goal.
The Belgian winger's 83rd-minute strike secured a 3-3 draw for the visitors. The draw sent Liverpool down to ninth in the table with just 10 points from seven games.
Speaking after the game, Klopp highlighted his team's resilience to claw their way back into the game after going two goals behind.
It finishes level at Anfield. https://t.co/6S9u1fJWil
The German tactician said (h/t CaughtOffside):
“Not the score we wanted but there are two different stories to tell. Being 2-0 down and coming back and being 3-2 up is a nice story."
The former Borussia Dortmund manager, however, was not pleased with his side throwing away their lead in the dying embers of the match. He continued:
"Throwing it then away and having a 3-3 is not a nice story. But for sure, that is what Brighton deserves, they had a really [good] game. We had moments but we didn’t play a particularly good game. They had a header and others where Alisson had to make super saves so yes, I think it is a fair result.”
Jurgen Klopp did not help his case in Liverpool's defeat to Brighton
The Seagulls did deserve something for their performance at a fortress such as Anfield, that too in their first game under new manager Roberto De Zerbi. For Liverpool, however, it is a result that increases the pressure on Klopp.
🏼👊🏼 https://t.co/UTTZHv6zuV
The Reds boss, for his part, made two odd substitutions that raised eyebrows amongst the Liverpool faithful. Klopp decided to bring on 36-year-old midfielder James Milner in place of Kostas Tsimikas at left-back with 30 minutes still left on the clock.
He also delayed Darwin Nunez's substitution to a point where the Uruguay international had next to no impact on the game. He was signed for a potential club-record fee of £85 million including add-ons this summer but came on in the 89th minute against the Seagulls.
Deadline-day loan signing Arthur Melo, meanwhile, was left as an unused substitute on the bench. The Reds' next task is an away UEFA Champions League group stage encounter against Rangers on October 4.