Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 7y

Jurgen Klopp deems Liverpool's draw at Man City a 'success' after hard work

MANCHESTER -- Jurgen Klopp refused to get carried away by Liverpool's performance in the 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Sunday but declared the result a "success."

City boss Pep Guardiola said his team's display following their elimination from the Champions League had given him "one of the happiest days" in his career as a manager.

In a pulsating game at the Etihad Stadium, James Milner broke the deadlock in the 51st minute from the penalty spot before Sergio Aguero equalised with 69 minutes on the clock.

And both teams had golden chances to pick up all three points in a frantic finale.

"He's Spanish! Maybe they are a little bit more emotional than Germans!" Klopp joked when asked about Guardiola's response at a news conference.

"Am I proud of our performance? Yes, of course. But maybe I'm a lucky guy and have had a few nicer moments in my life.

"It's very important for us that we gave this sign to all the people interested in us that we can really perform like this. It's really not easy, or all the other teams would do it.

"The lads did really well, so I'm fine with this."

He said he felt Liverpool "would have deserved to win a little bit more and could have," adding: "It was a nice game to watch, probably, but on the sidelines it's really hard work and on the pitch it's really outstanding hard work.

"The summary of the game is positive -- it's very good, of course. It's the way you have to play against good sides.

"It was intense, we defended well, we had a few problems but we came back. We were the better side and then they came back and we gave them the opportunity to score.

"It's not that I'm not satisfied, it's more that I actually expect things like this from us.

"I cannot run around after a draw against Man City, but of course it's a success. It's good if you get a point here in a game like this."

Liverpool head into the international break in fourth place -- four points ahead of Manchester United, who have two games in hand.

Klopp's side boast an impressive record against the top six this season, having earned 20 points in total against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and both Manchester clubs.

However, the manager is well aware that Liverpool need to be better against teams in the bottom half of the table if they are to finish in the top four and secure Champions League football.

"We are still in the battle -- that's how it is," he added.

"We have to improve in all the other games. I know a lot of other reasons why we couldn't and it's a long-term project.

"If I wake up every morning and go: 'Oh we lost the points there' then it wouldn't make it better, so I don't do it.

"I'm really focused on the moment and if I think about something then it's the future. It's really difficult to do this.

"Now we send the boys all over the world and hopefully they come back healthy. Then we go again.

"There's an outstanding, consistent side this year [Chelsea] and they will be champions, probably.

"That's well deserved, and all the rest fight with all they have for the Champions League and we are one of these sides.

"If we do it then that's a success and if we don't then we will be disappointed. But we would not stop working and we would not stop believing in this project."

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