Liverpool FC news today: Arsenal reaction, title race talk & Klopp's next steps
After a disappointing defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, it's been a sombre Monday for Liverpool supporters across the world.
The Reds saw their lead at the top of the table slashed by the Gunners, slumping to a disheartening 3-1 loss at the hands of their title rivals.
There has been plenty of fallout from Liverpool's defeat, with the title picture now looking blurrier than it has for much of the campaign.
Here is your Liverpool FC news round-up from Monday, 5 February.
ROY KEANE CRITICISM
Former Manchester United midfielder turned Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane was not shy in criticising Liverpool for their subpar performance against Arsenal on Sunday.
Liverpool slumped to a 3-1 defeat after a catalogue of embarrassing defensive errors, while the forward line found it difficult to carve out too many clear-cut openings.
It was an afternoon to forget for the Reds down south and former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane gave a scathing assessment of Liverpool's performance on Sunday.
"In terms of the intensity from the first whistle to the last from Liverpool, in possession and without, I can't believe how bad they were," said Keane post-match.
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SHRUGGING OFF THE TITLE TALK
Jurgen Klopp made a point of stressing that nothing has really changed for Liverpool after defeat to Arsenal, with the German claiming there will be plenty of twists and turns to come this season.
After the match, Klopp refused to be drawn into questions about the significance of the result in relation to the title race, even though Liverpool's lead at the top of the table has been cut to two points.
"I am not nervous now because of two games in hand for [Manchester] City. We expect them always to win their games. Nothing really changes," said Klopp. "We would have loved to win here but we were not good enough."
Manchester City have two games in hand on the Reds, both of which come against Brentford. The champions play the Bees on Monday night and Liverpool will be hoping for an unlikely favour from the west London side.
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JURGEN KLOPP TO BAYERN MUNICH?
There has been plenty of discussion about what's next for Liverpool after Klopp's exit, but rumours are continuing to swirl regarding what's next for the current Reds boss as well.
According to Bayern Munich goalkeeper and Germany icon Manuel Neuer, Klopp would be a good fit for both the national team and Die Roten, although the former Borussia Dortmund boss is likely to take a year out of management.
"I don't think FC Bayern has anything against that, because he’s a renowned, very good, experienced, tactically astute coach who has gained big respect from all footballers and athletes and I believe that he's definitely a potential candidate who could work for Bayern at some point," said Neuer.
He added: "Maybe he no longer wants the day-to-day business - I can imagine him possibly being the national team coach one day. Of course, that mainly depends on him."
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DIOGO JOTA HEAPS PRAISE ON LIVERPOOL TEAMMATE
Diogo Jota has identified Liverpool teammate Thiago Alcantara as the most technically gifted footballer he has ever played with.
The Portuguese heaped praise on the midfielder, who finally made his return to first-team action off the bench against Arsenal after nine months injured.
Thiago, who is easily one of the most technically-gifted players of his generation, was number one on Jota's list, with Portugal teammate and Man City star Bernardo Silva also getting a mention.
When quizzed on the player with the best technical ability that he's played with, Jota replied: "Thiago Alcantara. I think, obviously, Liverpool is… I could have said Bernardo Silva now that I think about the national team but Thiago is a good shout!"
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