LIVERPOOL — Jose Mourinho was incredulous about Jurgen Klopp’s touchline antics as Liverpool’s last-gasp win enabled them to leapfrog Tottenham and take charge of the title race.
Roberto Firmino’s 89th-minute header secured a dramatic 2-1 victory that propelled Klopp’s team into top spot, much to the delight of Klopp.
Mourinho, by contrast, could not hide his disappointment and insisted Tottenham would have been aggrieved had the match ended in a draw.
Mourinho approached Klopp at the final whistle and told him — much to the German’s surprise — that Spurs should have won but the Portuguese took things a step further in a television interview afterwards when claiming he would be censured if he acted in the same animated way as Liverpool’s manager.
“The best team lost and he disagreed, but that’s his opinion,” Mourinho said.
“By the way, if I behave on the touchline like he does then I am not there. Come on, that is animated. Do you want to take the table with the time from the fourth official? I am saying for some reason I am different and I am sad.”
Mourinho’s side had three glorious chances to win in the second half but Steven Bergwijn spurned two, hitting the inside of the post with one shot, while Harry Kane somehow contrived to head wide when unmarked six yards out.
“I think even a draw would have left us not with the best taste because we had them there to win it,” said Mourinho, who claimed he substituted Giovanni Lo Celso as he felt pressure from Liverpool’s bench would lead to a second yellow card.
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“It was not just about the big chances, it was the moments of the big chances and the moment was when they were in trouble in their worst moment and we had it there to kill it but we missed it.
“Normally at matches at this level you pay and I thought we would pay just taking a point.
“In the end we didn’t even take a point, so it is very disappointing. But looking at the performance I am happy with the team, with the proposal of going to a match to win it.
“I thought in such a difficult game against such a good team the boys were very good and we got punished.”
Klopp, by contrast, was beaming. There were several outstanding performances, not least from teenagers Rhys Williams and Curtis Jones.
Liverpool hit the bar through Sadio Mane late in the second half, but kept going and Firmino’s third goal of the season pinched the win.
“It was a tough game, a really tough game in a difficult period but we deserved three points,’ Klopp said.
“You lose one ball against this counter attacking monster so you have to be focused. We have to play around them and keep them busy. The boys did that well. Bobby’s header was sensational.”
However, Klopp cut a mystified figure when Mourinho’s comments were put to him.
He said: “Then my English is worse than I thought. I thought he said to me ‘the better team lost’ and nothing about my behaviour on the touchline, so I have no idea what it is.”
On Liverpool having 200 passes in the final third compared to Tottenham’s 19, Klopp added: “If you ask me now, I can’t remember the 19. That’s how it is. But it’s fine. Different approaches, different ways to play.” — dailymail
