Jurgen Klopp praises 'incredible' Liverpool as Pep Guardiola hits out at Man City fans over Hillsborough disruption
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Updated 16/04/2022 at 20:46 GMT
Liverpool and Manchester United both celebrated 3-2 wins of their own on Saturday afternoon. Liverpool defeated rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final while City boss Pep Guardiola had little time for his own side's fans after they appeared to disrupt a minute's silence for the Hillsborough tragedy.
'Quadruple really unlikely' - Klopp plays down chances despite reaching FA Cup final
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised his ‘incredible’ team after they beat Manchester City 3-2 in the FA Cup semi-final.
The win at Wembley on Saturday afternoon means that the best that City can hope for is the double, while the Reds are still theoretically on for the quadruple, having already won the League Cup.
Liverpool were pushed hard by Pep Guardiola’s men and the German was delighted with the overall response.
"Absolutely proud, incredible - I think the first half was one of the best we ever played. We did all the right stuff, we scored in the right moments, we played an incredible game in the first half, I really loved each second of it,” he said after the win.
"The second half started with the goal for Man City and then it opens up - the quality of City is insane and you could see it was a much more open game.
"We respect the quality of City so much and it's so difficult to win against them. But because we have these boys in our dressing room we have a chance.
"It's not a statement, we are just in the final. I think City knew beforehand that it could be difficult against us - that's how it has been between us most of the time. There was one game where there was a strange scoreline - 5-0 - when we had an early red card.
"But when both teams were on top of their concentration, it has always been close.”
Klopp did not discount the chance of a quadruple, but admitted it would be an exacting end to the season.
"The quadruple talk I can't believe it. This win means we have another game and then we have to play Aston Villa in a midweek, they have to move one game again,” he stated.
"I don't think we have a full free week before the last matchday - it's all difficult but who cares? We came here and we wanted to go through to the final. We knew about the problems but qualifying for this final makes the quadruple even more difficult - it's the only way to do it but it makes it more difficult as well so it's a strange situation.
"But we are over the moon, we beat the strongest football team in the world and that's a pretty special moment."
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Manchester City and Liverpool's players argue following Manchester City's Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho's tackle on Liverpool's Senegalese striker Sadio Mane during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at W
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola denied that the fans supporting the club represented the side when they disrupted the minute's silence for the Hillsborough tragedy.
He said: "This is not Manchester City. We are close to Liverpool club for the tragedy that happened years ago. We are alongside them. After these guys singing (it) doesn't represent what we are."
The Spaniard held back when addressing the error for the second goal from US 'keeper Zack Steffen, saying: "It was an accident. One of the strong points is try to play [out] and as a keeper he has this quality. It was an accident and he will learn for the future.. When the ball is there it can always happen.
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'It was an accident' - Guardiola defends Steffen after error against Liverpool
"I have spoken with the team not him personally but he is strong.
"Our momentum was there in the second half. We had the chances to equalise. It was a difficult fixture because we came from somewhere like only we know where we came from, with games we had and the last five or six days away and people with the problems. The guys put in a lot of pride in the second half.
"It was not a question of tired. They were more tired in the first, football is not about the tiredness it is about what you do and how it works and how you play.
"We finally have one or two days off. We know we have seven games and the Champions League, we are going to try to push and see what happens."
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