Jurgen Klopp admits key Liverpool component was missing as Crystal Palace defeat dents EPL title hopes

Jurgen Klopp has admitted that his Liverpool team were victims of a European hangover after a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace dealt the Reds a huge blow in their English Premier League title tilt.

The Anfield giants went into Sunday afternoon clash with a struggling Palace side looking to make amends for their disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night. But things have gone from bad to worse for the German manager, with Eagles' striker Jean-Philippe Mateta's first half goal enough to hand the away side a priceless victory on Merseyside.

The loss has left Liverpool sitting in third place in the table, two points behind leaders Manchester City with six games remaining and Klopp concedes his side are feeling the effects of a piled-up fixture list. The 56-year-old, who will bring his nine year spell in the Anfileld dugout to an end in the summer also says his side were not able to produce their trademark levels of counter pressing off the ball against Palace.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: ‘Was this a hangover? Yes, That’s how humans react sometimes. It’s not great but it happens. The conviction wasn’t there. We were much too far apart from each other. Last line too deep, the midfield wasn’t really there, first line didn’t start the press. So that’s all true.

"If you would look to my teams over the years, I think you could say our pressing is usually good. Counterpress is there. The first half we were open like “how can that happen?”

"Curtis [Jones] was the only one really chasing, really getting out and from time to time broke their rhythm. Beside that they [Palace] could just play through. We were horrible to watch.

‘It wasn’t a fully convinced team on the