Fulham 1-2 Liverpool: Reds nerve 'not in doubt' after scare - Jurgen Klopp

Last updated on 17 March 2019.From the section Liverpool542

Fulham 1-2 Liverpool: Liverpool were a bit rusty in first half - Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his side's nerve is "not in doubt" as they survived a scare to win 2-1 at Fulham and go top of the Premier League.

James Milner scored a late penalty after a mix-up between Alisson and Virgil van Dijk gifted Ryan Babel an equaliser to Sadio Mane's opener.

The Reds are now two points in front of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

"We started well but lost the rhythm a little bit," Klopp told BBC Sport.

Klopp said his side were "a bit rusty" in the first half, having beaten Bayern Munich away on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

"We could've finished it off in the second half but if you don't kill the game, something like that can happen," he added.

"I'm not in doubt about my players' nerve. I always want perfection but it's really rare that you get it.

"People will say we should be more convincing in games like this but this is us. We are in the middle of a development, not at the end."

'Average game, sensational result'

After Mane neatly exchanged passes with Roberto Firmino to score his 11th goal in as many games in all competitions, Liverpool struggled to create many other chances, allowing Fulham back into the game in the second half.

The hosts had a goal rightly disallowed for offside before Babel snuck in to take advantage of Alisson and Van Dijk's miscommunication, only for Fulham keeper Sergio Rico to foul Mane after dropping Mohamed Salah's shot for Milner's winning penalty.

"We want to stay in the title race and that's what we did," said Klopp.

"First is the best position you can be in. City don't look as if they drop a lot of points, so we have to win, to win and to win.

"I didn't see us panic, I liked how we reacted. The penalty doesn't say we are sensational - 10 minutes before the equaliser, we had so many little mistakes.

"But we had a very intense week, going to Munich, coming back, travelling to London, so I'm completely fine.

"Average game, sensational result."

Race for the Premier League title
Date	Liverpool fixtures	Date	Man City fixtures
31 March	Tottenham (H)	30 March	Fulham (A)
5 April	Southampton (A)
14 April	Chelsea (H)	14 April	Crystal Palace (A)
21 April	Cardiff (A)	20 April	Tottenham (H)
		24 April	Manchester United (A)
26 April	Huddersfield (H)	28 April	Burnley (A)
4 May	Newcastle (A)	4 May	Leicester (H)
12 May	Wolves (H)	12 May	Brighton (A)
		TBC	Cardiff (H)

.view-comments-button-wrapped-component {display: block !important;} .view-comments-button-wrapper {display: none !important;}

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

542 comments

Comment posted by Just_Not_Cricket, at 07:15 18 Mar 2019
#20 carefreeckb
"The referees must have most Liverpool assists this season ? As they add another iffy one to the long list ......
It is getting boring the whole media bandwagon willing Liverpool to win the League"
_____________________

Most penalties awarded this season?

Crystal Palace followed by Man Utd and Bournemouth

But hey, don't let facts get in the way of a good story.
Comment posted by Nick, at 06:45 18 Mar 2019
As a neutral I'm glad Liverpool won. Best title race in a good few years. Good luck to both teams. Wonderful football from them both.
Comment posted by JoeR55, at 08:43 18 Mar 2019
The LFC fans are fantastic, the locals friendly & chatty, the City a great tourist destination. You can't generalise about a fanbase because a few idiots, (all clubs have them) throw bottles etc or some poor souls on here, (from all Clubs) spout bile. By sticking to the footy I think most would agree that it's good for the game that a very good, very expensive City side are being challenged. YNWA
Comment posted by Lasagne295, at 06:46 18 Mar 2019
A bit of an “ugly” win for Liverpool- but I suppose that is how you win championships?!
Comment posted by markyp1965, at 07:10 18 Mar 2019
There’s every possibility that Liverpool will hold their form and nerve in the run-in, but even if they do, if Man City match them, the game in hand takes them to the title.
Would like to see Liverpool take the title, but it’s going to be a very close run thing.
Right to the wire? I reckon so.
Comment posted by JoeR55, at 08:56 18 Mar 2019
Until the rise of City, the Club threatening to knock Man U off their perch were Chelsea. If any Club could be said to be CFC's main opponents in Europe, it was LFC. Yet the global reach of the game sometimes means that anyone can post anything without knowing the history of the English game and LFC's place in that history is secure and whether others like it or not, the Mighty Reds are on the up.
Comment posted by Leask27, at 07:31 18 Mar 2019
There’s only Liverpool challenging City!! Is that nerves? Or bottling? Quite the opposite. A great title race
Comment posted by Bhav, at 07:12 18 Mar 2019
Come on babel. Time to sink city
Comment posted by The Cats Giblets, at 09:03 18 Mar 2019
103. Glen Glen Glen ...you almost had a post that could be intelligently discussed. But you had to get the childlike insult ’Liverpoop’ in there , we are so close to getting you into he grown ups section ...another season paying child fare for you my friend
Comment posted by U17560507, at 06:49 18 Mar 2019
Don’t see City dropping more than 2 points now. That leaves Liverpool needing to win 7/7 take the title IMO.
Comment posted by U1739091, at 08:35 18 Mar 2019
Liverpool - 1 point better than last years total points with 7 games to go. Whatever happens to the end of the season it's been a great year!
Comment posted by EnemyOfTheState, at 08:29 18 Mar 2019
City’s cup runs so far:

League Cup: Oxford United, Fulham, Leicester, Burton Albion, Chelsea.

FA Cup: Rotherham, Burnley, Newport County, Swansea, Brighton

Champions League: Lyon, Shakhtar, Hoffenhein, Schalke, Spuds.

No wonder they’re on for a Quadruple after that murderer’s row of opposition.
Comment posted by Barts10, at 06:43 18 Mar 2019
It's going all the way.
Comment posted by Sharpshooter78, at 08:02 18 Mar 2019
@54 puffin out your cheeks :- Liverpool won, 3pts in the bag, Liverpool are top. If you don't like it don't look at the table.
Comment posted by kaseldop, at 07:25 18 Mar 2019
Not a top 6 supporter. But all this talk of Liverpool 'nerves' , even BBC breakfast using this expression this morning, is way off the mark.
Even City had difficult games against Bournmouth, West Ham, lucky winning League cup. In reality it is that City have played a degree or two better since the turn of the year. All these supporters spewing rubbish or hatred, just enjoy this special season.
Comment posted by bigronsarmy , at 06:50 18 Mar 2019
just waiting for all the Manure fans and bitter blues to come on and say he hasn't won anything yet.....the best manager in the game at the moment - committed to the club and a manager they can only dream of having ...
Comment posted by Eternal Optimism, at 08:18 18 Mar 2019
@58, "If he isn’t concerned about the nerves why does he keep talking about them? "

Because he keeps getting asked the question....doh!

Seems the likes of you are more nervous about us winning it than anyone associated with Liverpool FC.
Comment posted by Just some bloke, at 07:58 18 Mar 2019
@54

So what was the difference ? Fulham goalie makes an absolute schoolboy howler, well 2 if you want to be picky. Without THAT it's a draw.

____

It wasn't a draw though was it?
Comment posted by JOHNNY, at 08:59 18 Mar 2019
from all the neutrals.... its good to lfc to of the prem
Comment posted by xishan, at 08:10 18 Mar 2019
Next 3 games are big, win those anything is possible.

Accessibility links