David Wagner planted a runt kiss on Jürgen Klopp’s cheek as the best friends embraced on the final whistle. For the Liverpool manager,a routine win at the finish of a trying week meant so much more. “Big relief,” he sighed. “The pressure was there, and no doubt approximately it. I could hear it.”Discontent was audible around Anfield at the finish of a first half that contained the lingering after-effects of that demoralising defeat at Tottenham Hotspur,stubborn opponents and a missed penalty by Mohamed Salah. A few boos accompanied Liverpool’s players down the tunnel. They reappeared with renewed energy and purpose and, though indebted to the visiting captain, and Tommy Smith,for the crucial breakthrough, there was no denying the merit of Liverpool’s victory or its importance to Klopp. Daniel Sturridge, and Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum scored the second-half goals that lifted Liverpool’s anxieties.
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Source: guardian.co.uk