All good things must come to an end.
After 69 games and almost four years, Liverpool have lost at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp tried to present a been-here-before-no-need-to-panic front, but his actions at half-time during his side’s 1-0 defeat suggest otherwise.
Klopp went chasing after Burnley boss Sean Dyche as the half-time whistle sounded, incensed about some of the visitors play in the opening 45 minutes.
TV cameras caught the German as he exchanged words with Dyche in the tunnel before returning to the pitch to escort his players off, after a mini fracas had broken out.
It's all kicking off at half-time between Liverpool & Burnley 👀 pic.twitter.com/Xk7e4eW2Q4
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 21, 2021
Burnley went on to win 1-0 after Alisson was deemed to have fouled Ashley Barnes when chasing out for a bouncing ball in his box. Barnes stepped up to slot home the penalty and Dyche’s men held on for the victory.
Having won 55 games and drawn the other 13, this was the first defeat in 45 months for Liverpool on home turf. The result leaves them fourth in the Premier League standings (on 34 points) and six points off leaders Manchester United.
"It's just two managers fighting for their teams – there's nothing wrong with that!" 🤝
Here's what Sean Dyche had to say about the incident… pic.twitter.com/SWXGlXCzWS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 21, 2021
Klopp then gave his thoughts on the result and the Dyche run-in to Sky Sports. He commented:
“If he doesn’t speak about it, I don’t speak about it either. I didn’t start it, but it was not nothing. All good.”
"If he's not talking about it, I will not talk about it." 🤐
Jurgen Klopp wasn't giving anything away from his half-time confrontation with Sean Dyche, but revealed that he 'didn't start it'. 👀 pic.twitter.com/B0E7xkpBD9
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 21, 2021
Dyche was not willing to shed any further light on the incident. “It was nothing out the ordinary,” he told Sky Sports. “Just two managers fighting to win a game.”
"It's just two managers fighting for their teams – there's nothing wrong with that!" 🤝
Here's what Sean Dyche had to say about the incident… pic.twitter.com/SWXGlXCzWS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 21, 2021
Klopp also went on to try take the responsibility for the defeat onto his shoulders:
🗣 "It's my fault."
Jurgen Klopp's post-match reaction to losing to Burnley #LIVBUR pic.twitter.com/25fw3jl84u
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 21, 2021
“Everything, all the English words, massive, massive punch in the face or whatever, it’s my responsibility, that’s the easy explanation,” Klopp later told the BBC. “We had the ball a lot, created some and didn’t finish the situations off. That keeps the game open and then they get the penalty – Alisson told me he didn’t touch him, but I didn’t see it back.”
Having drawn at Anfield late last season, Burnley have now cost Liverpool five points in their last two league clashes at the ground.
