Premier League club Liverpool came back in emphatic fashion to register a 3-1 win over Arsenal. The club from the red part of the Merseyside pressed aggressively off-the-ball and dominated position in the opposition half. 

It could’ve been rounded off as a solid victory against a formidable side. However, the Manchester United great Roy Keane felt otherwise. 

The former United and Republic of Ireland captain described Liverpool’s performance as “sloppy on one or two occasions at the back”. Jurgen Klopp caught on to comment from the outspoken TV pundit pretty swiftly as he prepared to come on air.

The pragmatic Liverpool manager was quick to jump on Keane’s observation. “Did I hear right? Mr Keane said we had a sloppy performance tonight? Did he say that?” remarked Klopp.

Keane has rarely backtracked after lunging into a challenge during his playing days but after Klopp’s sudden burst, the 49-year-old refrained from addressing the question directly. 

“I think they gave up one or two opportunities, which he will be disappointed with,” he said.

Klopp, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 and their first Premier League title last season, pressed on.

“Did he say that it was sloppy? I want to hear it,” said the 53-year-old German. “I am not sure I heard it right and maybe he was speaking about another game.”

“It cannot be this game. Sorry, that is an incredible description of this game.”

Klopp described his team’s performance against in-form Arsenal as “exceptional”.

“This game tonight — there is nothing bad to say,” said Klopp. “It was the opposite of sloppy.”

Quite unusually the otherwise hotheaded former defensive midfielder sought to calm the situation.

“You might have misheard me,” he said. “There were sloppy moments but I think you have been outstanding and I have been giving the club nothing but praise.”

“I am not sure you heard me correctly, you need to hear the rest of it.”

Klopp laughed and said: “I will, 100 percent.”

If the manager was so satisfied with his team’s performance, then was anything at all ‘sloppy’ in the game? 

Well, Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette did score a soft opener owing to a Liverpool defensive error. The same player even squandered a glorious chance to equalise after the hour-mark. 

So, was the Liverpool manager too defensive to latch on to a passing statement? 

Well, sometimes men’s football is a game ornamented by the pettiness of alpha male egos and what’s more fun than seeing them lock horns. 

Keane, though, had the last laugh after the Liverpool boss had left the interview.

“Very sensitive, isn’t he? Imagine if he’d lost.”

The defending champions have won all three of their Premier League games and will face Aston Villa in the competition next.