|
Jurgen Klopp said that Liverpool "lost patience" in their football against Chelsea after Christian Benteke's injury-time header spared the home side's blushes and secured a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Benteke capitalised on a mistake in the 92nd minute from Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to nod substitute Sheyi Ojo's cross into an empty net, cancelling out the brilliant solo run and finish from Eden Hazard that had broken the deadlock in an otherwise uneventful first half. Liverpool struggled to create clear chances against a depleted Chelsea defence that featured John Obi Mikel at centre-back. After the match, Klopp suggested that the Anfield crowd's desire to see attacking football had affected his team's mindset. "In the first 15 minutes we were brilliant, but after that we lost patience completely, we lost our formation because we lost patience and that's a problem," Klopp told Sky Sports. "Everybody can see that if Eden Hazard played like this the whole year then Chelsea would be ... what a player. "We didn't defend well because we weren't compact, because we always lost formation. We had five or six situations around the box where we had to pass. "The first 15 minutes showed what we're capable of. What we did then showed that we don't trust ourselves enough in this moment. In a game like this, the crowd force you when you need to be patient, everyone shouts 'GO!' We have to develop a lot but it's OK." Liverpool's rollercoaster season will reach a dramatic climax when they take on Sevilla in the Europa League final in Basel later this month, with Klopp's first major silverware since arriving at Anfield in October and a place in next season's Champions League on the line. Asked if Benteke's late equaliser was an important psychological boost for his team as they gear up to face Sevilla, Klopp replied: "The result wasn't important. That we take the right information out of this game, that's important. "We had a wonderful start to the game but that's not everything. We need to keep playing this football, plus our compact defending, plus our greed in defensive situations. If we do that, then it's good. If not, it's difficult."
|
