Klopp stays positive as Liverpool bows out of Europa League, focuses on Premier League title charge (WATCH)

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Apr 19, 2024, 10:36 AM IST

Jurgen Klopp chose to accentuate the positives following Liverpool's Europa League elimination on Thursday, emphasizing the significance of returning to the path of victory despite a 3-1 aggregate loss against Atalanta.

Acknowledging the significant setback of their 3-0 defeat in the first leg at Anfield, Klopp lauded his team's determination and resilience, particularly after Mohamed Salah's penalty secured a 1-0 triumph on the night in Bergamo.

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Similar to their Premier League counterparts Arsenal and Manchester City, who also bowed out of European competition after facing defeats by Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively in the Champions League on Wednesday, Liverpool will now shift their focus to their remaining six league fixtures. Their aim is to deliver a memorable conclusion to Klopp's tenure at Anfield as he prepares to depart in the summer.

The departure of the Reds marked just the third instance in the 21st century where England finds itself without representation in the semi-finals of either the Champions League or the Europa League/UEFA Cup.

"It didn't go our way but I liked the way we played"

Jurgen Klopp gives his assessment on Liverpool's quarter-final second leg with Atalanta...

🎙️ | pic.twitter.com/QMsySlZhnH

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt)

"It was clear we gave ourselves a massive hurdle. I liked the game a lot tonight with the desire and power the boys show. It was incredible from them," the Liverpool manager told TNT Sports after crashing out of Europa League.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had recently recovered from an injury, was called upon to start in Italy as a replacement for Conor Bradley. Bradley had suffered an ankle injury during Liverpool's defeat against Crystal Palace, prompting Alexander-Arnold's inclusion in the lineup.

Klopp acknowledged that it was "insane" for the England international to be on the pitch considering his recent injury woes. He suggested that the outcome of the match might have been different had Alexander-Arnold been fully fit and performing at his best.

"It was really tricky and we were too hasty in moments. If Trent Alexander-Arnold had been a bit fitter we could have gone a bit longer, but it is insane that he has even played! In the end he was running out of gas," the German said.

Klopp further stated, "We won the game and that was the reaction we wanted to show. It was difficult and we knew it would be but they deserve to go through 100%."

"We have to focus on the league and that is exactly what we will do from now. Tonight we won the game so we are back to winning ways. We have a few days to recover to go again against Fulham. That will be a different game but it will be tricky," the outgoing Liverpool boss added.

"It is mixed emotions. We are out but I am happy with the game. We would have wished that we could have gone to Dublin but that hasn't happened. We now have one competition left and we will throw ourselves into that completely," he said.

Despite converting Liverpool's winning spot-kick, Salah notably missed several crucial opportunities during the match, a departure from his usual clinical performance.

Since his return from injury, the Egyptian has shown signs of being below his usual standards, despite scoring six goals in 11 games, two of which were penalties.

When questioned about Salah's recent dip in scoring form at such a critical juncture, Klopp responded, "I'm not particularly concerned. That's what strikers do. That's how it it is. We have to go through it, he has to go through it."

"He is one of most experienced players in the squad. That's pretty much all. It's not that Mo didn't miss chances before in his life, that's part of the game. The penalty was super convincing, a super penalty then the next chance that was unlucky, but it's not the first time has has missed chances like that. I won't make a big story of it. I'm not particularly concerned," he added.

The Reds will prepare to take on the free-scoring Fulham over the weekend, currently level on points with Arsenal in second place and trailing league leaders Manchester City by two points.

With every remaining match crucial, Liverpool's title aspirations hinge heavily on securing maximum points in their next three fixtures against Fulham, Everton, and West Ham. Failure to do so could effectively end their title challenge, especially considering upcoming encounters against top-four contenders Tottenham and Aston Villa in two of their final three matches of the season.

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