Klopp: Our people deserved that victory against Everton

Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to the Liverpool fans as the Reds claimed their first league win for the calendar year with a 2-0 win over Everton on Monday night.

 

After what could only be described as a miserable start to 2023 with humbling defeats to Brentford, Brighton and Wolves, the smiles were back on the faces as the Red side of Merseyside claimed superiority over their city rivals once again.

 

The win had a feel-good factor attached to it. Starting with Cody Gakpo’s first goal for the club, Mo Salah scoring for the first time in the league since Boxing Day, a clean sheet for a defence that had been significantly under the pump and the performance of Stefan Bajcetic who is looking more and more settled in the heart of midfield and mature well beyond his 18 years.

 

Granted, the three points came against a opposition who are in the bottom three and having had confidence issues of their own as well as coming to grips with a managerial change, but beggars certainly cannot be choosers and if Liverpool have any aspirations to mount a run for a top four berth, a victory here was essential.

 

Speaking after the win, Klopp  wanted to give credit to the unsung heroes of the club as the Official Website reported.

 

“The whole week was a lead-up to the game, that’s true as well. We needed this game, we needed the performance. 

 

“Now we had it, our people absolutely deserved it – I loved the atmosphere, even before we scored. The people were there, it’s insane what kind of atmosphere the people create here. Tonight we delivered and our people deserved it”

 

When firing on all cylinders, the attacking side to Liverpool’s game is one of the best in Europe, but naturally due to absentees and general lack of confidence, that element has been missing in recent times.

 

But Klopp saw some promising signs in that regard.

 

 

“I loved both goals, loved the involvement of everybody who was around there. 

 

“For both goals we had three options in the box I think when the pass came in. So, a lot of things were different tonight, so it was the best game for a while and that’s why we won it.”

 

In terms of two of the newer additions to the starting lineup in Bajcetic and Gakpo, Klopp was very satisfied with their performances.

 

 

"We put him on a new position; you have to ask him actually, I don’t think he ever played the there before.

 

“(Stefan)  came here as a kid as a centre-half, played now the six for us in a few games and tonight as an eight and in a lot of moments a double-six, did extremely well. It was quite a good performance, to be honest.”

 

 

(With Gakpo) a good performance as well. The way he set up the chance for Darwin [Nunez], he had other moments like this where he came out under pressure and then there was a foul and we got a free-kick. 

 

“He did extremely well under massive pressure in the centre. In the end, it was not the most difficult goal he ever scored, but it is exactly the goal each striker is dreaming of when it didn’t happen for a while, probably. Both goals were, for both players, really important. 

 

“The next one who could have needed something like that is probably Darwin; the chance he had was a really good one. Anyway, it was obviously Darwin with an insane run for the first goal and a super pass.”