WEST BROMWICH, England -- Jurgen Klopp said he was "really pleased" with Liverpool's performance after they won 1-0 at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Victory in a scrappy game, secured by Roberto Firmino's header late in the first half, took Klopp's men back above Manchester City and into third place.
It was Liverpool's first win in nine Premier League away games against teams managed by Tony Pulis.
And Klopp told his postmatch news conference: "It is one of the most difficult places to come because in no game can you feel comfortable.
"With West Brom it is not only set pieces, they have really good footballers on the pitch and if you're a little bit less aggressive then immediately they use their threat around set pieces to play football because you don't want to go in with real challenges.
"That makes it really difficult, so you need to be at your highest concentration level -- but we have been."
Klopp said he felt his side's performance after the break had been an improvement on their efforts before it, adding: "In the first half, we didn't play too good [in terms of] football.
"In the second half we did much better, but we kept the ball in the first half and didn't let them be really part of the game.
"In the second half, we did this much better. For us, it was very important because showing this concentration level until the end didn't work each week in the last few months.
"But today it was really good and I am happy about this. I am really happy about the performance."
Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet preserved the points with a crucial save, denying Matt Phillips in a one-on-one situation, and Klopp praised his all-round contribution.
"He made an important save, and in the end, it doesn't look that spectacular, but he was really present around the set pieces.
"He was really lively, front-footed, all that stuff. Very important again."
Liverpool could have doubled their lead in the dying seconds with home keeper Ben Foster having gone forward as second-half substitute Alberto Moreno broke away.
Moreno fired wide from distance instead of playing a pass, but Klopp explained: "I told him after the game: 'I know everyone thinks you can play in Daniel Sturridge, but actually he would have been offside.'"
"Maybe there was another option that I didn't see, I'd have to watch it again, but it's completely normal in a situation like this, you think you have to do this [shoot].
"He's a good boy, really. I would have been happy for him, actually, if he'd scored this goal, but there was excitement until the end -- which is pretty much always the way it is when we are involved."