Klopp admits the Reds' sharp decline in performance during the FA Cup clash against United

Jurgen Klopp admitted that Liverpool's minor results when they met Manchester United in the FA Cup had caused his team to experience a sharp decline in performance. This Merseyside club has seen their hopes of winning the Premier League title become increasingly difficult after being shocked by Crystal Palace with a score of 0-1 at Anfield, on Sunday (14/4/2024). It was Eberchi Eze who became a nightmare actor for the hosts with his goal which made Liverpool fans wince and became the only goal scored in the match.

This result came after a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League at Anfield a few days ago, making it a difficult week to forget for Klopp and his team. Speaking after the defeat to Crystal Palace, Klopp pointed to last month's FA Cup defeat to Man United as a sticking point for his side, which killed their momentum and saw them crash out of the competition. "That's no excuse for today, the problems we experienced in the Man United game were completely different to what we experienced today, but we expected a reaction," he said. "We lost that [Man United] game more than just a game. That doesn't help."

Having secured the Carabao Cup in February, the Reds are on course to mark Klopp's final season at Anfield by grabbing a quadruple ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final clash with the Red Devils in mid-March. Despite having 25 shots on goal throughout the match, and dominating, the Reds had to settle for swallowing the bitter pill after a goal from Amad Diallo sent them home to Merseyside. Since that defeat, Liverpool's performance in both domestic competitions and on the European continent has declined drastically, with Klopp's team now having gone three games without a win in all competitions. "I mean, we lost the cup game and it was like a disaster because we were very good and ended up losing," Klopp said. "Then we drew there [in the league], it was very good for a long time and just drew and that's no excuse for today, it happened a few weeks ago, but you ask about the last few weeks.

"So, the problems we experienced in the games against Man United were completely different to what we experienced today. Yes, the goals we conceded too easily, that's probably a true general thing." Results over the last seven days in the Premier League have seen the Reds hand Manchester City a front seat in the title race, with the reigning champions now two points clear at the top of the standings heading into the final six weeks of the season.

Virgil van Dijk and his teammates will now turn their attention to the Europa League second leg against Atalanta, where they must overturn a three-goal deficit. They will then travel to Craven Cottage at the weekend for a tough test against Fulham to keep their distance from Man City.