Jurgen Klopp hailed his Liverpool team for grinding out a “mature” 1-0 win at Brighton on Saturday.
The Premier League leaders needed a Mo Salah penalty to bounce back from two straight losses to return to winning ways and reopen a seven-point lead at the top of the table.
Liverpool was clinical if unimpressive on the south coast, having lost 2-1 at Man City in their previous league outing before being beaten by Wolves in the FA Cup third round by the same scoreline.
After a dour first half, Salah produced a moment of trademark individual skill to win the spot-kick he converted five minutes into the second half after Pascal Gross had fouled him following the Egyptian’s neat footwork in the penalty area.
The German boss says: “The headline after the game is ‘very mature’. You saw the game and it’s obviously a big challenge for everybody to stay calm and to stay concentrated because each little situation can be a massive threat or counter-attack.
PLEASED: Coach Jurgen Klopp. Photo: PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS
"We are not the Harlem Globetrotters, we have to deliver results. For that, we need to perform.
"The performance was good. It was not the best performance of the season in a few departments but I would say it was the most mature performance of the season.”
Xherdan Shaqiri, who got a rare start, missed Liverpool’s best chance in the opening half when he headed just wide after Trent
Alexander-Arnold’s cross.