Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool win at Leeds was his best performance of the season

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp felt his side put in their best performance of the season as they ruthlessly tore through a struggling Leeds United.
The Reds have scored six goals from seven shots on goal, with Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota scoring two each.
Klopp’s side have beaten Bournemouth 9-0 and Manchester United 7-0 this season, but the German believes the performance at Elland Road is his best.
“[I’m] really happy with this game,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think we forced a lot of mistakes, scored sensational goals, in terms of counter pressure, it was the best in, I would say, decades. My favorite part was in the 92nd minute – four players chased the poor guy for the ball from Leeds.
“I think it’s the best game we’ve played this season, in many ways.”

It’s been a tough season for Klopp’s side, as shown by the fact that they remain eighth in the table despite Monday’s landslide victory.
They are in the hunt for European football next season, with a seventh likely to qualify for the commitment – but their Champions League hopes are dim.
The win at Leeds was Liverpool’s first win since beating Manchester United in early March and showed they retain a rare ruthlessness even in this disappointing season.
There was controversy over the first set, with Trent Alexander-Arnold using an arm to block a pass from Junior Firpo – although not illegal according to on-court officials and video assistant referees – before setting up the first set by Cody Gakpo.
Salah struck the second shortly after and while Luis Sinisterra’s goal gave Leeds brief hope early in the second half, the Reds responded with Jota, Salah and substitute Darwin Nunez. West Yorkshire’s victory came after a much improved performance against leaders Arsenal in the previous game, who came back from 2-0 down to draw despite a missed penalty from Salah.
“To play good football you need stability,” added Klopp. “You only get stability by defending, but when you are in such a negative flow, if we can use that expression, then you are making bad decisions.
“You think that to play better you have to focus on offensive things. We can be super offensive oriented if we react at the right moment. “I can’t explain why our counter pressure didn’t work [in previous games], but tonight it worked. It worked in the second half against Arsenal.”
“Tonight I don’t know how many goals we scored after winning back the ball, but this makes the difference.
“I think we know, but there’s always a little difference between knowing and understanding and really feeling it.”

The Reds pulled off a late foray into Champions League football under Klopp – picking up 26 points from a possible 30 to finish third in 2020-21.
However, Klopp wouldn’t bet on his side being able to repeat that feat and finish this campaign in the top four.
“I think a little problem between this season and this season is that they [the teams above] are a bit further apart,” he added.
“Where we end up, I don’t know, but it will continue after this season, so we need all the games to understand.
“Games are super important. If we can’t get anything this season, we have to build on the good performances of this latter part of the season.
“I have no idea if we can get closer, but I don’t think it’s too important. I’d like to see us with the same desire, the same passion, the same understanding we showed tonight.”

It was another damaging game for Leeds and their hopes of staying in the Premier League.
They have shown this season they are capable of scoring more goals than many of their relegation rivals, but have been held back by a tenuous defense throughout the season.
The 5-1 loss to Palace on April 9 and Monday’s defeat mark the first time in their history that they have conceded five or more goals in consecutive games.
While they remain two points above the relegation zone, their goal difference advantage over their underlings has been decimated.
“Today’s game and the result are difficult to accept,” manager Javi Gracia told BBC Sport. “We lost our composure during the match. We tried at the start. Maybe the first goal opened the game and maybe it came from a hand ball, but we need to improve for the next match.”

Asked about his side’s defensive fragility, the Spaniard – who has taken 10 points in eight games since taking over from Jesse Marsch – said: “It’s something we have to work on and try to improve.
“It’s something we haven’t done in previous matches and now we are in the most important part of the season. We have to be tougher and defend better. “There’s only one way. Try to work hard and try to improve.”

They now face a trio of fixtures that are likely to make a difference in their season, with away matches against Fulham and Bournemouth either side of a home draw against Leicester City.