Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has praised his team’s performance in their 3-0 rout of Aston Villa on matchday 4 of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Liverpool have started the new season much better than they did last season. They opened 2023/24 with a draw at Stamford Bridge to continue their unbeaten run against Chelsea which started during pandemic times. Since then, they have racked up three wins, totalling 10 points from their opening 12.
There was something lacking in some of those performances, however, and the German tactician recognised it. However, Klopp expressed excitement over their 3-0 win against Villa, which was also their first clean sheet of the season.
The former Mainz manager claimed it was their best outing yet in the season and expressed hopes that they would ride that momentum into the rest of the year.
“Absolutely, absolutely. It was a top game, the best for a while, a long time,” Klopp told Liverpool’s media at the end of the game. “I don’t know the last time we were that convincing, and we had a few good games obviously now – especially the end of last season and these kinds of things.
“That was really good. And you’re right, in both departments, offensively like defensively. You cannot do one step less against this Aston Villa team, then you struggle immediately.”
Liverpool went ahead in the third minute through new signing Dominik Szoboszlai, who got his first goal for the club. Aston Villa, through Matty Cash, scored an own goal to double the lead for the Reds, who completed the rout in the 55th minute through Mohamed Salah.
Klopp then pointed out that Szoboszlai’s goal helped to swing the momentum in their favour, admitting that Villa could have given them a tough time if they had not scored early enough.
“But the early goal might have helped, I’m not sure, we don’t know how the game would have looked without scoring, but we looked really, really good,” the German manager continued.
“The mix in possession between control and direction was close to perfect. That’s how it felt. We could use the formation today properly, everybody wanted the ball or protected or showed or offered.
“So, it was a top game, [I] cannot say differently. I don’t know when I can say that the next time, but for today it was as good as could be, because the opponent is extremely strong and we didn’t let that happen today.
“That’s a massive compliment to my boys.”
