Klopp: Hard work and composure made the win
Jürgen Klopp praised his team's decision-making at pivotal moments after Liverpool came from a goal down to beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The German oversaw a stunning first win in the Barclays Premier League, with Philippe Coutinho’s brace and a third from substitute Christian Benteke turning the tie around following a fourth-minute opener from Ramires.
Klopp’s charges were good value for their result, enjoying more possession and registering twice as many shots as the Londoners en route to maximum points.
But it was the composure shown by his players, most notably in Coutinho’s two finishes from the edge of the area and Benteke’s impact from the bench, that most satisfied the manager.
He said: “We didn’t have the best start in the game. We needed a few minutes to come into it and Chelsea made their goal – one of those strange situations where there were four against two in the corner and they made the cross.
“They made their goal but we stood in the game. We had our moments, we played football and our build-up with short passes – what we want to do – was very good.
“They tried to make high pressure but we could play in the spaces between. So we could change the situation a little bit and I think in the first half we deserved it.
“Of course, it’s dangerous because of the quality of Chelsea with the counter. But we controlled these situations; not perfectly, we showed the guys a few situations at half-time where we had to protect our situations better. We made a goal and deserved the draw at half-time.
“In the second half it was an open game, we got a little bit more of the game and made our goals in two perfect moments for us. Shoot at the right moment, don’t shoot at the wrong moment, take the ball to a better situation and then shoot. A little bit of luck, of course, but I feel it was deserved.
“At the end, we had to work hard but that’s normal if you want to win at Chelsea. We had to work hard and that’s what we did.”
Last weekend, in the aftermath of a late Southampton leveller denying Liverpool at Anfield, Klopp had explained how his team needed to remain calm and brave when setbacks arrive.
And the message clearly made a difference this time, with the Reds undeterred by falling behind to Ramires’ header in the opening stages in the capital.
The German added: “Their reaction was much better.
“In life like in football, you have to make mistakes and then you can talk about it, you can work on it and change it. Or you don’t know it’s a mistake or that you will react like this when it happens.
“I haven’t known the team long enough that I can imagine all of the reactions of my team in specific situations. We made this fault [against Southampton] and spoke about it.
“It’s not possible to train that part of football. But you can change things and that’s what they did today.
“That reaction is very important for us because in the Premier League it’s not possible that in each game you’ll go into a 3-0 lead and play easygoing. You have to fight, that’s what we did today. And you have to solve your problems in the game and that’s what we did today too.”