Jurgen Klopp was at a loss to explain Liverpool’s performance in their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.
The Reds’ took the lead at the Etihad thanks to a breakaway goal from Mohamed Salah, only for Julian Alvarez to level the scores on the half-hour mark.
Liverpool then fell apart after the interval as quickfire goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan gave the scoreline a convincing feel for the dominant hosts, for whom Jack Grealish wrapped up the scoring.
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And speaking after the final whistle, Reds boss Klopp admitted his side made it far too easy for City as he took issue with their limited efforts to regain possession.
“No, I cannot (explain it),” he admitted. “I have no clue why we didn’t challenge there when the ball is open. No foul, nothing, just no challenge. It’s really difficult to understand.
“Then the reaction is that they are there when you let them be there on the ball, when they cut inside, pass the ball and use their speed. It’s not about mental stuff anymore.
“You just try to sort the things you can sort. It was not possible there. I don’t think it is really to explain. We all saw what we saw.
“The obvious, I would say, the obvious that everybody could see. The first half was okay. Not only the result but because of the performance as well. Of course City had more possession and these kind of things but that always happens when we play here.
“We scored a wonderful goal. Could have scored a second one with a really good counter-attack. Then, I would say the situation is rather unlucky when Kevin De Bruyne gets a touch on the ball and it rolls through Robbo’s legs.
“From there, City are of course doing really well. So 1-1. That’s okay, that’s a basis. Come out of half-time and there’s an open ball in midfield.
“We don’t even have a challenge and they pass the ball to the outside. We are too deep with the last line. From there again, City are doing well. You have to defend City in the moments where you have the opportunity to do so.
“If you are too deep, too passive, whatever, then they use that immediately. It’s 2-1. 3-1, pft, super quick after.
“How I remember it, I will have to watch it back obviously, we have three or four vs one situation against Jack, but in the end nobody has a challenge and the ball arrives in the box again. They can finish and take the rebound.
“And then you saw what happened. We were not there anymore. We were completely open. We were too passive, too deep, too far away from everything.
“After being 3-1 down, it’s anyway difficult to come back here. We had a situation for 3-2 maybe when Robbo broke (Andy Robertson) through on the left side.
“But then, apart from that, City could pretty much do what they wanted because the spaces were too big. We were rather lucky they only scored one more. That’s it now.”
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