Gabby Agbonlahor has threatened to reopen his long-running feud with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The pair have been engulfed in an unlikely war of words throughout the season, starting when the pundit took aim at Manchester United in the face of a defeat at Brentford. Klopp launched an unlikely defence of Erik ten Hag's side, saying he was close to calling in after Agbonlahor's comments on talkSPORT.
Ex-Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor dubbed Klopp's comments "a bit strange" when calling the German's words into question. And now, after a dig at the manager in the aftermath of Liverpool's defeat at Arsenal, the 36-year-old has taken aim once again.
Agbonlahor's latest comments came after Liverpool lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest over the weekend. Taiwo Awoniyi scored the only goal of the game, netting against his former club, with Klopp's visitors unable to find a way past goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
“Where do you start with Liverpool?" Agbonlahor asked on talkSPORT's Gameday Phone-In. "Mr Mentality Monster, Jurgen, five games away from home without a win this season – can he only get them up for home games at a full Anfield?
“Can he not get his ‘mentality monster’ team up for away games? Because today was shocking from Liverpool. Every player apart from Alisson was below a five out of ten today.”
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After the game, Klopp was asked how he was feeling. "As low as possible," the manager told BT Sport. "Massive, massive blow because I have no idea how we can lose this game to be honest. Not that we played exceptionally well, not that I expect that but it would have been nice.
"With all the changes we had to make and with the intense week behind us it was clear we had to make a fight of it. The boys did that. The chances they had were pretty much counter attacks where we gave the ball too easily away. We were dangerous and a real threat and the set pieces were 100 per cent chances pretty much."
Liverpool had won their previous two games, recording narrow victories over Manchester City and West Ham. However, they failed to make it three on the spin, and ended the weekend five points outside the Champions League places.
"That we didn’t finish one of these off is the main blow if you want because we cannot put them in better, you cannot move better and if you have one player completely free in the box that is the perfect set piece," Klopp added. "The goal we conceded was giving the ball away in a situation which should not happen, then the set piece was sloppy and they finished it off."
