The outgoing Liverpool manager has apologized to fans after a 2-0 loss to Everton ended their hopes of winning the Premier League.
Liverpool suffered their first defeat in 14 years to Everton at Goodison Park, dashing the Reds' dreams of sending their manager out as Premier League champions.
Jurgen Klopp's nearly nine years at Liverpool will come to an end at the end of this season, and they had hoped to end the season with a second league title under the German manager, but Mersey All hopes were dashed with a 2-0 defeat away in the side derby.
Just a few weeks ago, Liverpool were on track for a potential quadruple, but they went off track.
Klopp's side, who have a record of four wins from nine games, have lost out in the Europa League and FA Cup and have fallen from leading the league in the Premier League.
Liverpool trail leaders Arsenal by three points, and are just one point behind defending champions Manchester City, who have two games in hand.
Klopp apologized to fans after Wednesday's defeat.
“[Leaders Arsenal and Manchester City] It must be a very bad moment,'' said Klopp, looking completely devastated when asked about his team's chances.
“I don't know. All I can do today is apologize to the public. Everyone who is with us knows how difficult this has been for us. We should have done better, but we didn't. .”
“You lost the league at Goodison Park.”
Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for a 2-0 win in a game that Everton fans at Goodison Park will not soon forget. After the final whistle, he sent a congratulatory message to the visitors, saying, “We lost the league at Goodison Park.''
Klopp could only shake his head at Calvert-Lewin's 58th-minute goal from a corner kick, saying Everton had the set-piece in their playbook all season and his players were prepared for it. Stated.
Klopp said he was disappointed in “many things”.
“We gave Everton exactly the game they wanted. Two goals from set pieces. We took a lot of shots, but we couldn't score. We were in a hurry and we weren't clear enough. But we weren't good enough, that's something we absolutely have to admit.
“Of course we didn't expect that today, but it happened anyway. Obviously, this is not our best moment. In the end, it's not enough. When you win, it's 500. There's a reason. If you lose, it's not enough.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave a frank assessment to Sky Sports.
“If we play like we did today, we won't have a chance to be in the title race.”
With Liverpool seemingly running out of steam, the quest for a quadruple player could come back to haunt Klopp.
He has played 54 games this season and is scheduled to play four more before the season ends.
A number of academy graduates reinforced them during the injury crisis in early 2024 and helped Klopp secure at least a silver medal in his final season by winning the League Cup in February.
But just as key players have returned in recent weeks, with Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold returning, some of the players most relied on over the winter have fallen into the shadows.
Klopp admitted after the match against Palace that his midfield duo, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo, were struggling due to the strain they had taken on earlier in the season.
“Players who have played every game are less fresh, but the same goes for other teams. I don't want that to be an excuse,” Klopp added.
“A lot of things come together and it's not great timing. I'd love to sit here and win 4-0 and fly away, but the job is to win football games and the more you win, the more you win. Succeed.
“At this point, we haven’t had enough wins to get anything out of the season.”
Liverpool face West Ham United on Saturday. The final three games will see them clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
