Jürgen Klopp is once again in his darn seventh year. In Mainz and Dortmund he throws there, but at Liverpool he doesn’t want to give up and go into his eighth season. After four league games without a win, his Reds achieved their first success of the calendar year. Because fate plays its part too.
Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool have managed to break free in the English Premier League. With the 2-0 (1-0) in the Merseyside derby against the disappointing relegation candidates Everton, the Reds can look towards Europe with one eye. After three games without a goal, after four games without a win, Mo Salah (36th) and winter newcomer Cody Gakpo (49th) decided the game.
After their first league win in 2023, Liverpool are ninth on 32 points after 21 games and are now nine points behind and one game behind sluggish Newcastle United in fourth place in the Champions League. Next Saturday they travel to the nouveau riche Magpies in the north of England. A game that, after winning the derby, can suddenly be a huge opportunity for Klopp and his team. “It’s a really big win for us,” said Mo Salah on Sky after the game.
Thirteen seconds lay between heaven and hell in the 36th minute. Everton’s James Tarkowski headed the ball past the battered Liverpool keeper Alisson from a corner. But he aimed too precisely, the ball landed at the far post, bounced back into the field and a few seconds later it was in the visitors’ net after a perfect counterattack. Salah took advantage of a mistake by England goalkeeper James Pickford and pushed the ball into the empty goal. Pickford had left his goal and speculated on a long pass to Gakpo. Salah’s eighth league goal this season was also his 100th league goal involvement at legendary Anfield. Fate was kind to Liverpool this time. “We were a little lucky, but you only get lucky if you work really hard. And that’s what we do,” said the Egyptian.
While Salah was celebrating his anniversary, Dutchman Gakpo celebrated his debut goal in the Reds jersey shortly after the break. In the 48th minute, after another counterattack, all he had to do was push a low cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold at the far post over the line. After that, almost only Liverpool played, who were satisfied with the result towards the end of the game and waited for a counterattack. But the relegation-threatened Toffees with their new coach Sean Dyche could not do much with the rooms and only had a good opportunity through the joker Tom Davies. But the 24-year-old headed over the goal from close range in the 80th minute. So it remained at 2-0 for Liverpool. It was a successful evening for Klopp’s team, who had recently been asked more and more questions about his future.
But even before the game, Klopp had been quite combative. He had left his clubs twice after seven years. He left FSV Mainz after not being promoted back to the first division, and Borussia Dortmund after an unbelievable fall to the last place in the table in 2015. Although he had managed to qualify for a European competition with BVB after a long final sprint, his decision stood long since fixed. He went. And soon reappeared as a Liverpool manager.
“I have enough experience to know that you can get out of a situation like this,” said the 55-year-old before the game, rejecting comparisons with his time in Germany. “When I left Mainz it was a career step. When I left Borussia Dortmund I was very exhausted and I felt like it was time to do something else. None of that is the case now,” he said. “I’m totally here.”
After Klopp and Liverpool were only missing two games in the historic quadruple – winning the Premier League and Champions League as well as the two national cup competitions – in the 2021/2022 season, the Reds have had little together this season. Again and again he had to do without injured players, again and again the right side of defense gave him the biggest worries. Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in particular was criticized. The England international lacked protection on his wing runs, which young Harvey Elliott could hardly provide.
Darwin Núñez, signed by Benfica for 80 million euros, has not been convincing as a replacement for Sadio Mané so far. Just five goals in the Premier League in 16 appearances brought him plenty of ridicule and little self-confidence. The Uruguay international also missed a few good chances against Everton, but was responsible for the counterattack to make it 1-0. It was his third assist of the current season. It was an assist that got Liverpool back on track. Diogo Jota should now ensure that the team stays there. The Portugal international replaces Nunez midway through the second half. After a long-term calf injury, he made his first appearance since a 1-0 win against Manchester City on October 16, 2022. Defender Virgil van Dijk was also back in the squad for the first time since the beginning of January, with ex-Bundesliga player Roberto Firmino playing his first few minutes as a joker after the World Cup.
In addition to the goal scorer Salah, who played free, the 18-year-old Spaniard Stefan Bajecetic also impressed at Liverpool. The midfielder had played his way into the starting XI in recent games and now ensured stability and calm in defensive midfield against Everton. “Since he’s been playing for us, he’s actually our best player,” said Salah after the game and Bajecetic was amazed next to him. After the game at Newcastle United, Liverpool then hosts Real Madrid on February 21 for the round of 16 first leg in the Champions League. “I won’t and I can’t go,” Klopp, who is under contract until 2026, said before the win against Everton: “I’m responsible and I want to do it. I’m 100 percent committed.” His Reds were there this Monday at Anfield.
