Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp illustrated his frustration with his side’s 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday as he blasted Virgil van Dijk from the side of the pitch and later slammed the body language of his players. The Reds threw away a two-goal advantage to fall three points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Liverpool raced into an early lead as Jordan Henderson curled an effort past away keeper Robert Sanchez, before Sadio Mane headed home a second midway through the first half.
And they thought they had a third when Sanchez saw his clearance cannon off Mane and find its way into the net.
But referee Mike Dean ruled the effort out as the ball struck the Senegal international’s hand.
Brighton came back into the contest just before the break as Enock Mwepu’s stunning strike evaded Alisson.
And they were level after 65 minutes as Leandro Trossard cut inside Andrew Robertson before beating the Liverpool keeper at his near post.
MUST READ: Solskjaer blueprint for Man Utd revival becomes clearer in Spurs win
Van Dijk wasn’t able to assert his dominance on Saturday’s game and Klopp will be left wondering how to get the best out of a player who has been one of the top defenders in the Premier League since moving to Anfield in 2018.
Klopp’s antics at the side of the pitch indicate that he could even consider dropping the centre-back to give him more time to rediscover his best form.
Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino and Curtis Jones are in danger of losing their place in the Liverpool side.
Both looked lacklustre against Brighton and didn’t possess the energy levels which have become synonymous with the Liverpool side Klopp has created.
Firmino and Jones both came in for heavy criticism among some Reds fans for their performances on Saturday.
With a whole host of top players waiting in the wings, Klopp may look to ring the changes when his team host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“In the second half, we were not good enough,” Klopp admitted after Saturday’s game.
“The body language I didn’t like it all. It was like ‘oh my God, it’s really tough’. Yeah, it was clear before the game.
“The best way to defend Brighton is to have the ball yourself and play in the spaces where they are exposed, but we didn’t do that and that’s a problem.”