Liverpool midfielder James Milner blamed himself for Fulham’s then-equaliser, saying that he did not follow Jurgen Klopp’s instructions. In the 74th minute of the match, the former England international’s miscued clearance saw the ball fall towards Virgil van Dijk whose weak header towards Alisson saw Fulham’s Ryan Babel steal the ball and net the equaliser for the Cottagers. Babel who spent four years at Anfield, refused to celebrate his goal.
Milner however redeemed himself by scoring the winner from the spot to restore the lead for Liverpool. The goal was Milner’s 6th of the season. Liverpool eventually won the match 2-1 and it was a relief for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Following the match, Milner said, “The gaffer told me to come on and calm it down and the first thing I do is slice it and put Virgil under pressure which wasn’t ideal.”
Van Dijk did not shy away from admitting his mistake as he believes that he should have handled the scenario better. the Dutchman said, “I am not giving excuses. I should have handled it better. They scored but so did we and we have three points and move back to the top of the table.”
Van Dijk further added, “We knew it would be tough. We made it difficult for ourselves. We weren’t calm on the ball. We got the three points though and we can now focus on the national teams.”
Most Liverpool players will now return to their respective national teams for the international break. The Reds’ Premier League campaign will resume on the 31st when they face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
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