Klopp satisfied with Liverpool’s performance against Watford

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he did not expect his side to play their best Premier League game right after the break and hailed them for rising to the challenge in an uncomfortable game against Watford on Saturday.

Diogo Jota’s first-half header and a late Fabinho penalty gave Klopp’s side a 2-0 win that saw them top the table ahead of champions Manchester City’s game against Burnley.

“These games can go either way. If you score early, then go one lane, you can go one way. “But it is really unlikely that after the international break you will see the best game of the season,” Klopp told reporters.

Klopp said former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson coached relegation-threatened Watford to make life difficult for title rivals at Anfield, but the result was more important than the performance.

“We had to work through this match against a well-organised Watford team,” Klopp said. “Roy is doing a really great job. With a score of 1-0, nothing changed, they were going to counterattack. When the players come, they go to counterattack.

“It makes it uncomfortable. In the first half we had the scary moment of Alisson (Becker) saving but we scored our goal and kept it under control, which is the most important thing.

“Scoring the second goal was a relief. Winning the game is all we wanted. He gave birth to boys, and now we can continue.”

Liverpool travel to Benfica for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night ahead of a fantastic away clash at City next weekend.