25 April 2023 , 06:32
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Jurgen Klopp had the last laugh in a wholesome exchange with former Liverpool hotshot Neco Williams after the pair were reunited on Saturday.
Williams' current club, Nottingham Forest, made the trip to Merseyside and were beaten 3-2 in a dramatic affair. The Wales international, 22, proved to be a thorn in his old team's side, scoring an equaliser just four minutes after Diogo Jota had given Liverpool the lead early in the second half.
Williams' effort looked to be within goalkeeper Alisson Becker 's reach until a wicked deflection saw the ball fly into the back of the net and stun the home crowd. Once the Reds had responded by retaking the lead, before needing to again after Morgan Gibbs-White drew Forest level once more shortly after, Klopp teased Williams in footage which was captured by club media.
"It was deflected," the Liverpool manager joked as he gave the ex-Reds full-back a hug in the Anfield tunnel. "It was on target, though, so I'll take it," Williams replied with a smile, having not scored for Forest since his £17million transfer move last July.
The 22-year-old then asked Klopp, who he played under for a number of years: "How are you, you okay?" In response, the German said: "I'm good."
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And Klopp had a right to feel positive as Liverpool made it back-to-back wins and four games undefeated. That's the Reds' best run of form since the World Cup and means that they can still mount a late charge for the top four after a largely wretched campaign.
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Jurgen Klopp reminded Neco Williams that his goal took a deflection (Liverpool FC)
The pair worked together at Liverpool for a number of years (Liverpool FC)"The most important thing in football is obviously our results and fighting through this situation today and getting three points, you just have to look in the dressing room," Klopp explained post-match. "The boys are not silly - they know that we were not perfect but they are really happy about that. It's three super-important points.
"I told the boys at half-time, we had these kind of games hundreds of times where it's really tough to get through and stuff like this. You have to be patient, you have to stay positive, you have to go for the moment. Ask if anybody would be happy if we win the game 1-0, of course everybody would.
"So that means we fight and work for this one moment where we can decide it. And in the end, we needed three – but that's fine. So yes, I think things changed but to show consistently we have to keep going and it will be a really tough game again against West Ham. They fight for everything, so we have to be ready for that."