21 October 2023 , 14:36
545
0
Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Ibrahima Konate could have been sent off, a matter of minutes before he substituted the centre-back during Liverpool's 2-0 win over Everton.
The Frenchman was given a yellow card in the 50th minute after stopping an Everton counter-attack. Konate then fouled Beto 15 minutes later as the Toffees launched a breakaway attack. Everton were insistent Konate should have been handed a second yellow card, with Sean Dyche furious on the touchline. However, referee Craig Pawson decided not to send Konate off.
Interestingly, Klopp did not take any more risks as he decided to substitute the 24-year-old for Joel Matip. At the time, Liverpool were struggling to break down Everton following Ashley Young's first-half red card, but Mohamed Salah managed to strike twice to hand them a 2-0 win.
Speaking after the match, Klopp hinted that Konate was fortunate not to have been sent off. "I liked it a lot," he said of the result. "It is a derby, you have to consider different stuff and with a better last pass in the first half we are three-nil up. Our counter-attacks and good offensive transitions we should have scored and didn't. We didn’t allow them to do what they wanted. We were clear in the challenges.
"It is difficult because it was a deep block and they adapted slightly and set up to our strengths. I liked a lot of moments and then the red card [for Young] was pretty influential in the game.
Klopp's dream Liverpool line up as last-gasp January transfers rejected
"I wanted us to be calm and ignore that we were one man up. It is difficult in the stands because it’s like now you have to create with each possession and it took a while until we got chances.
Ibrahima Konate in action for Liverpool against Everton (Getty Images)"And then the penalty. I saw it back and it is a clear penalty. Ibrahima, could have gone, yes. It could have happened obviously and then we took him off and from that moment we were solid and compact."
The result moved Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League - albeit possibly for the time being with Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham still to play this weekend. Dominik Szoboszlai, who was impressive throughout at Anfield, delivered his verdict on his side's performance.
He told TNT Sports: "It feels really good, playing at Anfield is something special and playing against Everton is a derby. It feels nice. I expected it would be a good atmosphere but not that loud. I have played in a lot of stadiums but this is one of the best.
"Trent was one of the players who spoke about the atmosphere - I asked how it will be. All the staff said it would be really good. I know how it feels to play with 10 men and know how Everton felt, but we had to be focused. It is the perfect start to the weekend."