Leeds United ‘owe’ Liverpool three points, reeling from defeat to ‘Magic Roy’ and Crystal Palace – Jurgen Klopp
Leeds United “owe” Liverpool three points after their victory at Anfield, the only Premier League team to do so this season, says Jurgen Klopp.
The 2-1 victory back on 29 October was part of a two-game burst, with the 4-3 home victory over Bournemouth a week later, that likely kept Jesse Marsch in his job, with the American eventually fired three months later (6 February).
Klopp is now looking to repay the favour when he visits Javi Gracia’s Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday (17 April), with the home side needing to bounce back from the 5-1 collapse against Crystal Palace last weekend (9 April) at the hands of, in the German’s words, “Magic Roy” Hodgson.
Asked about the Whites in his pre-match press conference (14 April, 7m 15s) Klopp answered: “They owe us three points”
On what he expects on Monday he said: “Big fight, massive fight. The situation Leeds is in, the last game of course as well which these kind of games can happen, they try everything. I actually think they’re in a pretty good moment, but in that game they got a proper knock, that’s clear because Magic Roy is back.”
After praising Palace he went on: “So we expect [Leeds] to absolutely on their toes, massive fight, proper atmosphere, so it will be a tough one.”
He later added: “Leeds will go with all they have so we have to go with all we have… Leeds will never be an easy game whenever you go there.”
Double chance
Few expected Leeds to get a result back in October, and some might argue that for the sake of the season it would have been better if they hadn’t.
Since the World Cup break that soon followed would have been the ideal time to make a managerial change if one had to happen the false dawn of two victories in succession just prior saw that chance go begging.
Marsch failed to win another league game after the Bournemouth match until he was sacked one game after being backed in the January transfer window, so a major portion of the season was wasted, as did the desperate scramble to replace him at such an inopportune time that followed.
A win at Anfield is never to be sniffed at, but it was the kind of sliding doors moment that might have prevented the Whites from bringing in one of Andoni Iraola or Arne Slot back in November, or at least Gracia months earlier without his back being against the wall immediately.
As it is neither side on Monday night will be looking back on this season with a huge amount of pride, but while the Reds have relatively little to play for by their own standards, the pressure is very much still on at Elland Road after the Palace thrashing.
Another surprise victory over Liverpool now would surely not carry the caveats with hindsight that the first did, as Gracia needs every point he can get to fulfil his remit of keeping the club in the Premier League.
In other Leeds United news, a months-long Whites transfer pursuit has now intensified for a sought-after Premier League prospect.