An 87th-minute header from defender Diego Llorente gave Leeds United a 1-1 house draw with Liverpool within the Premier League on Monday (April 19) after the house facet staged a protest in opposition to the breakaway Super League previous to the kickoff. Leeds gamers got here out for his or her warm-up carrying shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘Earn It’ underneath the Champions League brand – a reference to the truth that the proposed 20-club Super League can have 15 everlasting members with no relegation.
The consequence left Liverpool sixth on 53 factors from 32 video games, one behind fifth-placed Chelsea who’ve a recreation in hand and two adrift of West Ham United in fourth. Leeds stayed tenth on 46 factors.
Sadio Mane fired Liverpool forward within the thirty first minute when he steered the ball into an empty web from 15 metres after Trent Alexander-Arnold beat Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier to a protracted Diogo Jota move and squared it to the Senegalese ahead.
Roberto Firmino got here near including a second shortly after the break however Leeds then pegged again the guests and missed a number of possibilities earlier than Llorente rose above his markers to move house a Jack Harrison nook. Substitute Mohamed Salah had scuffed a close-range shot extensive for Liverpool moments earlier than Llorente scored his first aim for Leeds and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spurned a gilt-edged likelihood to grab a stoppage-time winner for the guests.
Don’t blame the gamers for Super League, says Liverpool coach Klopp
Liverpool supervisor Juergen Klopp stated he and his squad had came upon concerning the membership`s involvement in plans for a breakaway Super League solely on Sunday and urged indignant followers to not blame the gamers. The German, who has spoken out prior to now in opposition to a European Super League, informed Sky Sports tv that his opinion had not modified since 2019 when he stated he hoped it by no means occurred.
“I heard first hand about it yesterday,” he stated forward of Monday’s Premier League recreation at Leeds United. “We received some data, not quite a bit to be trustworthy. Most of the issues you may learn in newspapers or wherever.
“It’s a tough one. People are not happy with that, I can understand that. But I cannot say a lot more about it because we were not involved in any processes, not the players, not me. We didn’t know about it.”
Twelve of Europe’s prime soccer golf equipment introduced on Sunday they have been launching a breakaway Super League within the face of widespread opposition from inside the recreation and past. Liverpool have received the Champions League, or earlier European Cup, six occasions with Klopp celebrating success in 2019.
Klopp stated his intention as a supervisor was at all times to teach a group within the Champions League and he preferred the truth that a membership like West Ham United, not one of many 12, might play within the event subsequent yr in the event that they completed within the prime 4 in England.
“I don’t want them to, because we want to do that, but I like that they have the chance,” stated Klopp, whose facet have struggled to breed the shape that earned them the Premier League title final season.
The German stated Liverpool was ‘much more than some decisions’ and the supporters and the group have been crucial a part of the sport. “We have to make sure that really nothing gets in between that,” he added. “I heard we took banners down at Anfield but I don’t understand that because the players didn’t do anything wrong. The boys didn’t do anything wrong apart from not winning all football games. I really want to make sure that everyone knows that.”
Klopp stated he recognised some issues needed to change in soccer, and governing our bodies UEFA and FIFA mustn’t simply determine issues. “FIFA wants a Club World Cup, whenever that should be. That’s about money, nothing else,” he stated. “It happens, it’s not only these (breakaway) clubs.”
