Coutinho and new recruit Mane were outstanding throughout the game.
Advertisement
But they immediately allowed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to reduce the lead to two, before Calum Chambers headed beyond Simon Mignolet from a free-kick to set up a tense final 15 minutes.
“At 4-1 we maybe got a bit complacent, a bit over the top”, the England worldwide told Liverpool’s official website.
“We had a great reaction to come back into the game at 4-3, but we didn’t have enough time to equalise”.
Klopp is preparing for his first full season in charge of Liverpool after the Reds limped to an eighth-place finish last term. I always said that the one thing I really needed to improve was to score more goals.
“The manager will do that, for sure”. We will try with training and analyse things but until the 31st of August why should I decide anything?
Mane’s influence was key, as whilst Liverpool have talented ball-players in Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, Mane offers blistering pace and direct dribbling ability, and gives the Liverpool attack a different dimension. Each of us is trying to give their best for the club.
“We started much slower in the second half”. “There’s just no chance anyone is getting anywhere near a free kick”. “However, his performance against Arsenal – not to mention the best individual goal I’ve seen in years – has forced me to rethink my position”. “When he puts it in the top corner, it’s everything that he deserved”.
The man beaten by the free-kick, Petr Cech, seemed to endure an opening day to forget as images posted on Twitter after the match appeared to show he had pranged his vehicle while trying to leave the Emirates.
Arsenal came close to turning things around again against Liverpool, but failed in being their most effective largely due to a lack of tactical direction. Rather than toast the win, though, Lallana says there is lots to work on before the next game.
“I thought for the first 45 minutes we were excellent”, Cech said. We need a player who is vocal, commanding and is ready to lead the side out in confidence. It was a flawless start for us.
“The momentum shifted when they got an equaliser in the last minute of the first half”. Or do they play in this kind of game and get injured, like Ramsey today?
Advertisement
“We started much slower in the second half”.
