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Jurgen Klopp blames Manchester United for Liverpool’s recent poor performance.
Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that Liverpool’s unexpected 4-3 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup has been a catalyst for their recent struggles.
Entering Klopp’s final season at Anfield with hopes of securing a quadruple after clinching the Carabao Cup in February, Liverpool’s aspirations were thwarted in their FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United in mid-March. Despite a dominant performance and 25 shots on goal, Liverpool shockingly succumbed to a 122nd-minute winner from Amad Diallo, sealing their elimination from the competition.
Since that defeat, Liverpool’s form has taken a noticeable downturn both domestically and in European competitions. The Reds have now endured a three-game winless streak across all competitions.
In a challenging week where Liverpool drew 2-2 with Manchester United, suffered a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League, and were unexpectedly beaten by Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Klopp was queried by the press about the root cause of his team’s recent poor performances.
“I think the problem is a little bit that I am not 100 per cent sure that in general how we dealt with the [Manchester] United games particularly helped,” admitted Klopp.
“I mean, we lost the game in the cup and it was like a catastrophe because we were that good and lost it anyway. Then we draw there [in the league], were really good for a long spell and just drew it – that’s now not the reason for today, it’s a few weeks back anyway, but you asked about the last few weeks.
“So, the problems we had in the United games were completely different to the things we had today. Yes, the goals we conceded are too easy, that’s probably a general thing that is true.”
In the past week’s Premier League matches, the outcomes have shifted the dynamics of the title race, placing Manchester City in the driver’s seat. The reigning champions now lead the table by two points as we enter the final six weeks of the season.