KEY POINTS

  • Liverpool lost to Arsenal 5-4 on penalties
  • Jurgen Klopp said he was happy with how Diogo Jota performed as a starter during the match
  • Liverpool will face Aston Villa on Sunday in their Premier League matchup

Liverpool came up short in their Carabao Cup matchup against Arsenal as the Reds succumbed 5-4 on penalties. Although the club lost, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota’s performance as a starter did not disappoint manager Jurgen Klopp.

"Diogo made his first appearance from the start and it looked really good in a lot of moments – his physicality mixed with his technique is really a nice thing to watch," Klopp said post-match, Goal reported.

The game served as a good opportunity for several other Liverpool players as well. Rhys Williams, Neco Williams and Harry Wilson were also given starts for the Reds.

"All the others just did their jobs. We had Rhys Williams, for the first time since I am here at least, on the pitch against a proper Premier League side and he did exceptionally well," Klopp continued.

The coach also talked about how satisfied he was with Liverpool as his club's roster showed great potential throughout the match.

"Neco had one or two moments, but apart from that, a really good game. Don't forget he played against Nicolas Pepe that was quite a big signing and quite a quality player," Klopp shared.

"Harry Wilson, my God, played in center-mid more or less in position No.8, defended well and I saw his football skills as well," he added.

It was a tightly contested bout as both teams were unable to score in 90 minutes. The game was forced into a penalty shootout where Arsenal’s Bernd Leno stepped up on the defensive end. The Arsenal win brings the Gunners to the next round of the Carabao Cup.

Despite the loss, Klopp showed some optimism over how unified the team performed on the field.

"I liked a lot of parts of the game but we lost in the end and that's the part I don't like," Klopp emphasized.

"As a manager, I wish that we scored but I want to see that we create. A lot of moments in the game and it’s then about individual quality. We have the quality and we showed the quality, but it just didn’t work out tonight and that’s completely okay. We will try again, I can promise," he concluded.

Liverpool will seek to bounce back from the loss in its Premier League matchup against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Cloud nine: Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have taken nine points from their opening three Premier League games
Jurgen Klopp has been Liverpool's manager since October 2015 POOL / Paul ELLIS