Jurgen Klopp blasted himself after his first Liverpool visit to Arsenal

04 February 2024 , 08:00

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp earned a 4-3 win over Arsenal on his first trip to the Emirates (Image: Getty Images)

After his first ever visit to Arsenal back in August 2016, Jurgen Klopp admitted he over celebrated Liverpool's fourth goal as they almost let a three-goal advantage slip at the Emirates.

The Reds

in north London as Klopp's men started with a victory on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign. It was an excellent away performance from Liverpool, even though they almost allowed Arsene Wenger's side to grab an unlikely point at the death.

Having pipped arch rivals Tottenham to second place at the end of the 2015/16 season, Arsenal had hopes of going one better in 2016/17 and they got off to a superb start in their season-opener. Moments after missing a penalty, Theo Walcott gave the Gunners the lead in the 31st minute with a sublime finish.

However, Liverpool responded before the half-time break to equalise. Phillippe Coutinho struck a stunning 30-yard free-kick into the top corner beyond a helpless Petr Cech. Shortly after the interval, the Reds took the lead as Adam Lallana finished off a free-flowing attacking move.

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That gave Liverpool the springboard to try and finish Arsenal off and it didn't take long for Klopp's side to extend their lead. In the 56th minute, Coutinho added his second of the match when he diverted Nathanial Clyne's effort into the back of the net, sending the away supporters delirious.

The Liverpool fans would be off their seat once more in the 63rd minute as the Reds scored for the fourth time in less than 20 minutes. On his competitive Reds debut, Sadio Mane jinked inside from the right and hammered an effort into the top corner, giving Cech little chance.

Sadio Mane celebrates with Jurgen Klopp and his teammates after scoring Liverpool's fourth goal (Getty Images)

Immediately after scoring, Mane ran over to celebrate with Klopp, jumping on his manager's back while the rest of the Liverpool players followed. The Reds were overjoyed and it seemed as though they had already got the job done.

But Arsenal pulled one back almost instantly after going 4-1 down as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain lashed home, before Callum Chambers halved the deficit with 15 minutes to go. The Gunners pushed to grab an all-important leveller but couldn't find a way through as Klopp's men held out.

But speaking after the match, Klopp claimed he was responsible for part of Arsenal's fightback. "I played a big part in the excitement of the last half-hour, because it's not allowed to celebrate the fourth goal like this with 35 minutes to go," he told Sky Sports his post-match interview.

Jurgen Klopp admitted his Liverpool celebrations were overexuberant (Getty Images)

"At this moment, we switched off the machines. The game was not over. Arsenal lost, but we gave them a path back into the game. Nothing is sure until the final whistle. Over the whole of the 90 minutes it was a deserved win. We can always score goals and we can defend much better. It's the Premier League and nothing should be easy in this league. Nothing is easy."

Liverpool head to Arsenal on Sunday in the second meeting between the two teams in less than a month after Klopp's side won 2-0 in the FA Cup third round on January 6. This is a pivotal game in the race for the Premier League title, with the Reds five points clear at the top of the table.

Kieran King