In his post-match press conference, Jürgen Klopp spoke to the media following Liverpool's 3-1 victory over West Ham that took them to second in the Premier League, just two points behind leaders Manchester City.
It may have been Liverpool's best performance of the season especially against an impressive West Ham side and the inclusion of Darwin Núñez who played a big role in Mohamed Salah's opener as well as scoring Liverpool's second was a brilliant move by Klopp who seems to trust the striker more and more every week.
The German manager spoke on the progress shown by the Uruguayan as he said: “[He's made] massive steps in the last few weeks. He's a threat. His goal was pretty good, right?
“He was strong, always available. The defensive work he puts in now, that's the main difference. Really good.”
While Liverpool eventually cruised to victory in the second half, the team found the physicality of West Ham troublesome while Lucas Paquetá pulled strings in their midfield as Klopp admitted that their equalising goal in the first half from Jarrod Bowen wasn't a total surprise.
“Difficult game. Very good moments in [the] first half. Not in control enough to deny them completely. We played good in different places. [We] lost some balls we shouldn't have lost [and] when they scored I wasn't completely surprised,” he said.
The German boss made sure to single out praise for Alisson Becker and Jöel Matip for their performances which contributed to Liverpool's fifth win in a row.
“We caused them problems and scored super goals. Alisson made an unbelievable save in an important moment. We were really playing and stayed in the game until late. Jöel Matip had a super performance against Antonio.”
Liverpool's attacking trio once again played their socks off as they continue to build chemistry with each other as Klopp said the team has to get used to the different dynamics of the forwards.
“The penalty came from a counter. [It was a] sensational pass from Darwin to Lucho [and] Mo arrives completely free. If not fouled, he probably finishes it off. It looks positive. These boys are good footballers.”
The victory now places Liverpool second in the Premier League, just two points off leaders Manchester City as the Merseyside club face their toughest test of the season so far next week when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (September 30) at 17:30 PM (UK time).