Published 07:02 IST, June 22nd 2020
Jurgen Klopp focused on improving performance after 1-1 draw in Merseyside derby
Liverpool's star defender Virgil Van Dijk said that that the performance needed to improve and added that the team was one step closer to secure the league titl
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that the club and the players are focused on playing well and are not counting about the number of points needed to secure the Premier League title. Klopp's remarks came after a 1-1 draw against Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Klopp focused on performance
"Look, we don't count like this now all the time. Today I think the point is the one we deserved, even when I have to admit that, of course, Everton had the biggest chance to win the game," he said during post-match press conference. Everton nearly won the match with less than 10 minutes to go when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s shot was saved by Alisson and a follow-up from Tom Davies hit the post.
Liverpool's march to clinch the first Premier League trophy and the first league title in more than two decades was abruptly stopped in March due to the outbreak of coronavirus which resulted in sports tournaments, leagues stopping globally. The Premier League resumed earlier this week and the Reds are just two wins away from a clear victory.
Liverpool's star defender Virgil Van Dijk reportedly said that that the performance needed to improve and added that the team was one step closer to secure the league title.
The players also knelt to show support for George Floyd and the 'Black Lives Matter' movement in a bid to get rid of racial discrimination from society. The players, for the first time, sported jerseys with 'Black Lives Matter' instead of their names.
The match was played under a number of special circumstances as no fans were allowed. The bench had to sit separately, there was artificial music for viewers, five substitutions per team, a cooling break after at every quarter-hour, and no handshakes were allowed before the match.
Close to PL title
Liverpool is an unprecedented 23 points in front. But it is now no longer so certain that a victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday at Anfield will seal the title. That scenario will require Burnley not losing to second-place defending champion Manchester City on Monday.
But with eight games remaining, Liverpool has considerable breathing space to end the drought and win the first domestic championship since 1990.
Updated 07:02 IST, June 22nd 2020