Liverpool

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Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are in a position where the German can "allow himself to be caught up in the emotion" of his imminent departure, said Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards.

Liverpool beat Tottenham 4-2 on Sunday, a game the Reds led 4-0 after 60 minutes.

They are guaranteed a top-three finish in the Premier League and, although they can mathematically still win the title, the form of Manchester City and Arsenal makes that prospect extremely unlikely.

"I think you saw the tension lift," said Edwards on the BBC's Football Daily podcast.

"Ever since Klopp announced he was leaving - it was inevitable, you can't stop it happening, the kind of tension and expectation had whipped up into a frenzy. To be brutal, Liverpool came up short in Europe and the Premier League, but we know what a fantastic football team they are, we know what a great manager Klopp is and it felt [on Sunday] that there was a team playing with freedom.

"It was Liverpool at their best, the atmosphere at Anfield was really good. It was just one of those rare occasions where everybody, from a Liverpool perspective, really enjoyed it and I don't think they have had much enjoyment over the past two or three weeks. Football is tough, it's relentless, it's draining, and it felt like the antidote to all of that."

The Reds' remaining two games are away at Aston Villa and at home to Wolves, after which Klopp's reign of nearly nine years at Anfield will end.

"We are building up to that farewell now and I think he can probably enjoy it now, he can allow himself to be caught up in that emotion," added Edwards.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's three Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.

And you can watch highlights of Friday and Saturday's games on Match of the Day here.

Listen back to Sunday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full:

• Brighton v Aston Villa

• Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool winger Harvey Elliott to BBC MOTD: "I thought it was going over to be honest. Obviously it hit the net and I was over the moon and delighted to score. Any goal in a Liverpool shirt is always an honour and the manner I scored it today was one for a lifetime that I will remember."

Was it crazy to play in?: "It was a like a basketball game to be honest, not really what we wanted, but I think it was just the nature of both teams. It was just both counter-attacking teams going at each other and it was just who could score the most goals I expect. Today was a great game from us, but at the same time, we're disappointed with conceding two."

Is it tough to keep going at the end of the season?: "It's not easy, it is just the Premier League really. It is always tough, it is always intense, so we need to make sure that we are well-recovered, focusing on training and preparing for the next game. It is another tough game and that is just the way the Premier League is. Every game is tough, especially an way game as well. We just need to make sure that we go there full of confidence and use this game to build on."

On why you have to be at it for 90 minutes: "Absolutely. We paid that price today with conceding two goals, but the lads quickly changed it and put the mentality back in and fought to the last whistle. To come away with three points is great."

Jurgen Klopp said he feels you haven't played enough this season, will you speak to him about it before he leaves?: "I'm not really one to do that really. It is my dream to go out and play football, especially in a Liverpool shirt."

"The games I don't start, I'm upset and annoyed but I'm here for the team to make sure that when I come on, I make the impact and if I start, I make the impact. Maybe we can have that conversation towards the end but as I said, I'm just honoured and I'm just very grateful for all opportunities he has gave me."

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, speaking to BBC MOTD: "It's a little bit of a mirror of the season. Really, really, really, good until we were really rubbish and then, we were okay again. It's that period, we concede in different ways.

"The moment you let them play, immediately, you see what they can do. If you don't let them play, then, you can hurt them and that is all the stuff. Being 4-0 up, making the changes we made, we had exactly the same again."

Were days like today why you decided you don't need the stress anymore?: "Yes, it's a roller-coaster, but it is fine. It was a fantastic atmosphere. The weather was great, you don't have that all that often, so a really nice afternoon. The boys wanted the points and I love that."

How much are looking forward to watching Harvey Elliott from afar?: "Oh yes. That's the typical thing. Did Harvey Elliott play enough this season? I'm not sure.

"That's up to me, it's a little bit of moments like this and he was outstanding, outstanding and he has to be as dominant as he was today. Fantastic player, what a goal. I love it. All good. I will watch that definitely and enjoy it."

• Liverpool have only lost one of their last 30 Premier League games against Spurs at Anfield (W20 D9) and they have scored 4 or more goals in consecutive home league games against them for the first time (4-3 in April 2023 and 4-2 today).

• Spurs have lost each of their last four games in the Premier League - their longest losing run since November 2004 (a run of six). The only manager to suffer more consecutive defeats in charge of Spurs in the Premier League than Ange Postecoglou is Ossie Ardiles (seven games between January and February 1994).

• Liverpool’s Mo Salah became the first player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists in three consecutive seasons. He is also only the second player to tally 10+ in both in five separate seasons in the competition overall, after Wayne Rooney.

• Salah has scored 12 goals against Tottenham in his European club career, his second-most against an opponent across all competitions, behind Manchester United (14). His nine against them in the Premier League are also the joint-most of any player in this fixture, along with Harry Kane (9).

• Andy Robertson has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances for Liverpool - the first time he’s scored in consecutive games in the competition (today being his 274th appearance).

• Son Heung-min made his 300th Premier League appearance today, becoming just the third player to reach this milestone for Spurs (after Hugo Lloris 361 and Harry Kane 317). He’s now scored in five consecutive Premier League games against Liverpool - the joint-longest run against the Reds in the competition (also five for Jamie Vardy between 2016 and 2017).

Tottenham's dramatic decline continued as their hopes of reaching the Premier League's top four faded even further after they were well beaten by Liverpool at Anfield.

Aston Villa's defeat at Brighton left the door open for Spurs to make a late push for next season's Champions League but even a late comeback could not prevent a fourth successive defeat as Liverpool found form once more after their own recent slump.

Mohamed Salah put his touchline bust-up with manager Jurgen Klopp at West Ham behind him to open the scoring with a far-post header from Cody Gakpo's cross after 16 minutes, Andy Robertson adding the second right on half-time when Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario could only push out the Egyptian's shot.

Spurs lost discipline and Vicario had to separate team-mates Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal as they went off at half-time, with matters not improving for Ange Postecoglou's side as they were over-run after the break by a rampant Liverpool.

Gakpo headed the third from Harvey Elliott's delivery five minutes after the interval, the latter getting on the scoresheet himself in the 59th minute with a glorious curling finish from 20 yards into the top corner.

Liverpool then inexplicably switched off to allow substitute Richarlison and Heung-Min Son to give Spurs unlikely hope but it was too late and they remain seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Liverpool fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Tottenham fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

There are three Premier League matches today, and we will keep you updated on all the action.

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's matches, he takes on Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill.

Sutton's prediction: 2-3

Liverpool are not in great form and the incident with Mohamed Salah has not helped. I hope he apologised to Jurgen Klopp for the way he behaved on the touchline last week.

Salah is a great player but he is no different to everyone else in the squad in that, if he doesn't perform well, I am afraid he is droppable.

It is going to be very interesting to see whether Salah starts this game, which should be an absolute cracker.

I thought Tottenham's tactics would suit Arsenal last week and allow them to hit them on the counter-attack, and the same applies here.

When Liverpool turn the ball over, they are pretty devastating on the break, so the key for Spurs when they commit men forward will be to get the balance right. It will make for one hell of a game.

Probably no-one fancies Spurs to come out on top, other than me, but that's what I think will happen, with the wheels coming off for Klopp properly this time.

Nathan's prediction: 4-3

Read all of the predictions here

Jurgen Klopp was absolutely box office in his news conference earlier today.

Whether he was demob happy or just that he wanted to air some grievances before he leaves at the end of the season, the Liverpool boss did not hold back.

Klopp gave a "whoo" of exclamation when he walked into the room as there was quite a lot of the assembled media present and shared a joke with one of the reporters to start off when it was mentioned the German was a bit late.

There was plenty of anticipation about what he might have to say on the touchline row with Mohamed Salah at West Ham last Saturday, especially considering the Egypt forward had said, after the game, that there would be "fire" if he spoke.

Klopp played that down, saying the issue had been resolved, and instead turned his ire on the Premier League and broadcasters for a packed fixture schedule, and in particular TNT Sports, for the 12:30 kick-offs.

The game at West Ham was an early kick-off last Saturday and followed an intense run of matches.

The Reds had played Sunday, Thursday for three weeks before a trip to Fulham on Sunday, 21 April, a visit to local rivals Everton on Wednesday, 24 April and then the 12:30 against the Hammers on 27 April.

During that run, Liverpool's Premier League title challenge was all-but ended and the club was knocked out of the Europa League.

"It's a general problem. That they dare to give Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday 12:30 is a crime – I was actually waiting for Amnesty International to go to them," said Klopp.

He has regularly aired his issues about the fixture list but the stats back him up on the 12:30 kick-off issue.

So far this season, Liverpool have had six games kick-off at 12:30, while title rivals Manchester City have had three and Arsenal just the one.

Klopp also blamed the fixture schedule for Premier League teams as the reason why only one is left in Europe's top three competitions.

The Liverpool manager called his view "a little advice from an old man on the way out" but whether the issue will be addressed remains to be seen.

On his way out of the door, Klopp finished with a "smashed it" and he certainly delivered some big punches to some of football's powerbrokers.

Image source, Getty Images

Prospective new Liverpool manager Arne Slot says "we haven't confirmed anything yet" as plans for a move to Anfield continue to take shape.

The current Feyenoord boss was asked about his next steps during a news conference previewing his side's fixture against PEC Zwolle on Sunday.

Liverpool are reported to have a compensation deal for Slot to succeed Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

"As long as we haven't confirmed anything yet I don't think it is honest to the club where I am working now or the club I could go to [Liverpool] to talk about that," Slot replied.

"I'm more than willing to answer any questions if the official announcement will be made. I have all the confidence that that will happen, but until now it hasn't been confirmed officially yet."

Here are the key facts and figures before Sunday's game between Liverpool and Tottenham in the Premier League.

• Liverpool have lost just one of their past 29 home Premier League matches against Tottenham Hotspur (W19 D9), a 2-0 defeat in May 2011.

• Tottenham are looking to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the 2010-11 season. They beat two different Reds managers that season (Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish). Their last league double over the Reds beating the same manager twice was in Dalglish's first spell in 1986-87.

• Liverpool (three) v Tottenham (three) has provided six 90th-minute winners in the Premier League - the most of any fixture in the competition's history. Both of the past two league meetings between the two sides have been won courtesy of a 90th-minute winner for the home team.

• Liverpool have lost their past two home games in all competitions - as many as in their previous 57 combined. They have failed to score in both defeats and they most recently lost three in a row without scoring at Anfield in March 2021.

• Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp lost his first Premier League meeting with Spurs' Ange Postecoglou earlier this season. The only manager to win consecutive Premier League games against Klopp is Brendan Rodgers with Leicester in 2021. The last manager to beat him in his first two top-flight meetings was Louis van Gaal in 2009-10 with Bayern Munich when he was Borussia Dortmund manager.

• Tottenham's Son Heung-min has scored in each of his past four Premier League appearances against Liverpool. The only player to score in five consecutive Premier League games against the Reds is Jamie Vardy (between 2016 and 2017).

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media about the club securing qualification for the Champions League next season, and how he and winger Mohamed Salah have resolved their touchline spat in last weekend's draw at West Ham.

We asked you if you agreed with Jurgen Klopp's complaints about Liverpool's fixture congestion, particularly regarding playing at 12:30 on a Saturday.

Here are some of your replies:

Wes: You only have to look at the statistics to see that Liverpool have been given far too many 12:30 kick-offs, especially when you take into account that we have been in European competitions playing midweek most of the time. With further fixture congestion coming next season, we will only see more injuries and more English clubs exiting Europe in the early stages.

Kevin: They are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. If a team plays midweek, they should be exempt from playing in the early schedule.

Benjamin: Klopp has a point regarding early kick-offs, but with clubs having big squads unless players are injured and the squad depth is not there, then I believe you can rotate players to play at 12:30.

Alex: Everyone who enjoys the sport should agree that the fixture congestion is something which needs to be changed in the English game. Other top leagues seem to manage to get through a season without there being controversy on the subject. Broadcasters should be fitting around football, not football fitting around the broadcasters.

Ronan: Yes he is right. The quality of the matches at 12:30 are below average and the crowds are quieter also.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has lamented the turnaround time between games enforced by football's television broadcasters, labelling it "a crime".

If Aston Villa - who lost 4-2 to Olympiakos in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final - fail to progress, there will be no English representation in all three European finals this season.

The Reds, alongside West Ham, exited in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while Arsenal and Manchester City were knocked out at the same stage in the Champions League.

"If no English team is in a European final, have we all underperformed?" Klopp asked. "I watch a lot of football and the Premier League is the best in the world, it is not overrated but the players are overworked. Someone needs to help the people.

"Everyone has a reason to say we cannot do it, but we cannot sort it [ourselves] all the time. I had a discussion with TNT colleagues – a television channel I will never watch again – and they said they pay us to play football, but I don't see it that way.

"Football pays them. They broadcast and deliver it - they are doing extremely well and can pay all of you [media]. You have to become a part of football again and not just the squeezer. That is some advice from an old man on the way out."

Image source, Opta

Klopp is leaving the Merseyside club this summer after nearly nine years in charge and has regularly voiced concerns around early kick-offs and fixture congestion.

As the above chart demonstrates, Liverpool's win ratio for Saturday lunchtime starts is some way below their usual record under Klopp.

"People can survive without match days from time to time. Man City, Arsenal, us all out in the quarter-finals. It's not a reflection of quality but that we couldn't deliver on the day," he added.

"When I speak about it, people think it is because of the last game. No, it's not. It's a general problem. They dare to give Thursday to Sunday, Wednesday to Saturday at12:30pm. It is a crime. I was waiting for Amnesty International to go to them.

"[Just once] I would like to be part of that meeting when someone says 'Liverpool 12:30pm' and the whole room bursts into laughter. I would love to be there."

Liverpool fans, how do you feel about the fixture congestion?

Does Klopp have a point?

Have your say

Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media before Liverpool host Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Klopp confirmed that Diogo Jota was not in team training this week, Conor Bradley has returned while Virgil van Dijk was in partial team training on Friay so they "will have to see" on his availability.

• He feels it is an "achievement" for Liverpool to qualify for Champions League football next season: "I know it isn't mathematically over [the title race] but the pressure is off now. Going back to the start of the season, everyone knew how important it would be to quality for the Champions League again. I am very happy about that."

• He said the situation with Mohamed Salah is "completely resolved" after their touchline spat because "if we didn't know each other for long, I don't know how we would deal with it. We have known each other very long time so we know how to deal with these things completely independent of outside."

• He said the future of players like Salah "is not my subject anymore" and added: "I have said before the player is incredible. I don't think I should speak on that. Other people will make decisions, especially Mo. I am already the wrong person to speak about the this, the future of the club, I just prepare the foundations and then other decisions will be made by other people, not me."

• On fixture congestion: "If [Aston Villa] go out, no English team will be in any kind of European final. I watch a lot of football. The Premier League is the best league in the world so it's not overrated. The players are over-worked. Someone needs to help the people because next season we have three more Champions League games. [TV channels] have to become a partner of football again, rather than a squeezer of football."

• He added: "I got sent stats that say in the whole world we have the quickest turnaround between games. That is absolutely insane but they [TV] are still happy. And subscribers? You can take me off that list."

• On facing Tottenham, who have lost their past three games: "I understand people don't think it is a great moment for them but you can always see the clear footballing idea. We will have to be prepared for that and have to defend compact otherwise they just play through. They have a very good footballing idea."

• After the first game between the two teams this season was embroiled in VAR controversy, Klopp added: "It was not their [Tottenham's] fault that night -they just played the game. I would like to win the game for 500 reasons, but they way we lost there is one of them."

Follow Friday's Premier League news conferences

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham striker Michail Antonio has offered his insight into Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah's touchline spat during Saturday's match between the Hammers and Liverpool.

Salah and Klopp seemed to be involved in a disagreement as Salah prepared to come on as a 79th-minute substitute in a 2-2 draw that effectively ended the Reds' title hopes. The Egypt forward then said that if he spoke "there will be fire" as he walked through the media zone after the game at London Stadium.

"This is what I've heard and this is what the boys have been talking about at the training ground," said Antonio on the Footballer's Football Podcast.

"Every time a player is coming on, Klopp always gives them a big hug and says good luck. When Mo came on, he kind of walked in a different direction and was doing his shinpads and stuff like that. Klopp has put his hand out to him and it was left hanging for a bit and when Mo stopped what he was doing, he slapped his hand.

"Klopp didn't like that and was like, 'Do you want to sit back down, do you not want to go on?'

"Nobody has told me what Mo said back. Because they're not performing, it's going to be turmoil. Knowing who they are, how well they've done this season and the title could be drifting away, tension is going to be high and there will be a lot of frustration.

"They are only human and these things are bound to happen."

On the incident, Fulham captain Tom Cairney added: "I think it's just turned into a bit of a mess. We said a few weeks ago we fancied Liverpool to do something special in Klopp's final season but it's completely been the opposite.

"Then the Salah thing - maybe he's upset. I understand if he's upset about being on the bench - he's been such a big player for them over the years.

"Something must have been said before he came on. Klopp's probably not used to players biting back because he has that authority, that stature.

"If [Darwin] Nunez is holding you back, you know something is going down."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds