Jurgen Klopp defends Alexis Mac Allister after Liverpool’s draw at Brighton
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp played down Alexis Mac Allister’s ‘mistakes’ following the Reds’ 2-2 draw at Brighton and shared his thoughts on a possible red card for Pascal Gross, which was not given.
The Reds came from behind to lead 2-1 at the Amex on Sunday and looked on course for three points before Lewis Dunk’s 78th-minute equaliser secured a point for the Seagulls.
Liverpool went 1-0 down in the first-half when Mac Allister – who left Brighton for the Reds in the summer transfer window – was dispossessed by Simon Adingra, who fired past an out-of-position Alisson to put his side ahead.
Speaking after the match, Klopp said: ‘The most difficult thing to do is to make a mistake against your old team and then come back in the game like he did. We want to press them high. Maybe our timing wasn’t great. There were situations close when we were nearly there and then the challenge in a footballer’s life is to keep going. The boys got pretty much their reward for the effort they put in. Putting teams under pressure is important and then that’s how it is. Mistakes happen. Second half, we played outstanding, an attack ended up with Ryan Gravenberch nailing the crossbar. I don’t think Brighton would have given up but it would have helped us for sure. Everyone who came on, it was hard to get the rhythm of the game and so it’s a draw. That’s it.’
Liverpool’s second goal came via a Mohamed Salah penalty after Gross hacked down Dominik Szoboszlai in the box. Some pundits felt that Gross could have been dismissed for the foul but he was not even booked as Klopp spoke about the incident at full-time.
‘I don’t know – I really have no idea,’ Klopp added. ‘I thought when the foul is in the penalty box, then it’s a yellow card. If it would have been outside, then a red. I don’t know – don’t talk to me about the rules. I take what I get.’
Analysis
Klopp was understandably disappointed with the result, but his comments about Mac Allister show that he has faith in the young midfielder and believes that he can bounce back from his mistake. The German was also critical of the referee’s decision not to give Gross a red card for his challenge on Szoboszlai, which could have changed the outcome of the game had it been given.
The draw means that Liverpool are now eight points behind league leaders Manchester City and have lost ground in their pursuit of a top-four finish this season. However, Klopp will be hoping that his side can use this result as motivation to push on and close the gap on their rivals in the coming weeks.
Conclusion
Despite dropping two points at Brighton, Jurgen Klopp remains confident in his side’s ability to challenge for a top-four finish this season. The German was also quick to defend Alexis Mac Allister after his mistake led to Brighton’s first goal, showing that he has faith in the young midfielder’s ability to bounce back from his error. Klopp was also critical of the referee’s decision not to give Pascal Gross a red card for his challenge on Dominik Szoboszlai, which could have changed the outcome of the game had it been given.