Klopp: Problem with West Brom draw is that they deserved it

Klopp: Problem with West Brom draw is that they deserved it

Semi Ajayi scored a dramatic late equaliser against leaders Liverpool to earn struggling West Brom their first point since Sam Allardyce took charge.

Jurgen Klopp’s side looked to be going five points clear at the top of the table when Sadio Mane chested down Joel Matip’s long ball forward and fired past Sam Johnstone.

Liverpool dominated for long periods without adding to their lead but the Baggies improved after the break and equalised in the 83rd minute.

Ajayi leapt high above the home defence to send a header in off the post to spark jubilant celebrations from the away team at Anfield.

West Brom keeper Johnstone made a superb save to deny Roberto Firmino a winner near the end.

Asked if the result ‘felt like a loss in some respects’ during his post-match press conference, Klopp replied: “Yes it does, but I know we have a point more than before so that’s completely fine.

“The problem that I have is I think West Brom deserved the point – it’s our fault, but they deserved a point in the second half.

“First half was a really strange game, I don’t know the stats yet but it looks like it was 90/10 possession or something like this. I can’t remember a counter-attack or whatever, we were just playing around and it’s a massive challenge, I know that, to stay on track and do it and do it and do it again.

“But we should have done it because on the other hand side it is exactly the same challenge to defend like West Brom defends for 95 minutes, because they didn’t change a little bit when they were 1-0 down.

“First five minutes of the second half, they had more situations than they had in the entire first half and we could have sorted that by passing just easy, simple, quick to the next player. Prepare the position for the channel ball, also the runs and these kind of things.

“So we could have done it and we didn’t and that’s why it’s our fault that it’s in the end a 1-1 and not a 1-0 or 2-0 or whatever. So that’s what we have to accept and we do that, of course.”

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