Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Sunday, October 2.
Jurgen Klopp refuses to blame Liverpool fans after Brighton draw
Jurgen Klopp admits he was never convinced Liverpool would see it through after fighting back from two goals down before being held 3-3 by Brighton.
Roberto Firmino scored twice either side of half-time to cancel out Leandro Trossard's early brace before Adam Webster's own goal, just after the hour mark, gave the home side the lead.
READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold must face another threat after week gets worse for Liverpool right-back
READ MORE: Liverpool player ratings as Roberto Firmino a mixed bag and Trent Alexander-Arnold awful vs Brighton
With less than 10 minutes remaining, however, Trossard became the first opposition player since Andrey Arshavin in 2009 to register a hat-trick at Anfield and Klopp says he was never truly of the belief that he side could hold on at 3-2 given their shortage of confidence at present and the nerves around the stadium.
"It is not the first time, [the nervous atmosphere] has been like that for a long time, but it just didn’t happen too often because we were more convincing, but it's normal," said Klopp. "I don’t blame anyone from the stands. Not at all.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Nothing will change at Liverpool unless Jurgen Klopp addresses major flaw
If the next six weeks represent a sort of mini-season of its own for Liverpool before the winter World Cup, then this was an opening day that was every bit as frustrating as the real one at Fulham in August, writes Paul Gorst.
After 28 days without a Premier League fixture, Jurgen Klopp returned to the dugout with an all-action 3-3 draw against Brighton at Anfield, but having had the best part of a month to assess exactly what had gone wrong during an opening period that had veered between the ordinary and the awful, the Reds were unable to rid themselves of the same deficiencies that had plagued them before the break.
The widespread theory that nearly a month away from the top-flight rigours would help recharge the batteries is one bathed in hope rather than expectation it seems. For large parts of this game, it was the same old listless Liverpool, as far as this season goes anyway.
The question now is just how long this sort of form is allowed to go on for before Klopp is unable to dismiss it any longer as simply early-season teething problems?
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
READ NEXT:
- Liverpool's next six Premier League fixtures compared to Man City, Arsenal and others after Brighton draw
- 'Absolutely not happy' - Joel Matip sends angry message to Liverpool team-mates after Brighton draw
- Jake Paul responds to Roberto Firmino after Liverpool prediction goes badly wrong
- 'In one way' - Leandro Trossard makes Liverpool admission after hat-trick in Brighton draw
- 'Everyone knows it' - Liverpool fans agree on Trent Alexander-Arnold problem in Brighton draw
