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Our mistakes were too big, but we're only human: Klopp

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said his side's errors in their 2-1 defeat at Arsenal yesterday morning (Singapore time) were simply too big to overcome, despite his side having dominated the game.

Having gone down to a Sadio Mane goal in the 20th minute, Arsenal staged a comeback by capitalising on two errors.

First, a clumsy back-pass from defender Virgil van Dijk allowed Alexandre Lacazette to equalise. Then, a miskicked ball from goalkeeper Alisson allowed Lacazette to tee up Reiss Nelson for the winner just before half-time.

"When you make these kind of mistakes, you cannot win a football game - or you need to be really lucky to win a football game. We were not lucky today. All the mistakes were too big," said Klopp.

"Scoring and going 1-0 up, and then taking kind of a break. We're all humans and maybe it's just a misjudgment of the situation."

Van Dijk added: "If you watch the game, until I made the mistake there was nothing wrong. I take the blame for it, I take it as a man and we move on."

Defeat means the Reds won't be able to match or surpass Manchester City's record tally of 100 points when they won the EPL title in 2017-18, as the maximum that Klopp's men would be able to attain is 99 if they beat Chelsea at home and Newcastle United away in their remaining matches.

Since winning the title with seven games to spare, Liverpool have dropped eight points in five games. Before that, they had lost only seven points all season.

Victory kept the Gunners' hopes of European football alive by moving them within three points of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were in sixth place before this morning's games.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta emphasised the need to spend in order to improve further, saying: "You know how you build those squads, there is no magic." - REUTERS, AFP

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