Klopp blames 'dry' Anfield pitch for Southampton stalemate

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has blamed the 'dry' Anfield pitch as the reason behind his side's stalemate draw against Southampton in their Premier League clash last evening.

Liverpool were well aware that three wins from their remaining three matches would secure them a top-four spot and a place in Champions League next season.

However, their hopes of ending the campaign in one of those golden slots were compromised, once again, when they failed to break down Southampton's stubborn resistance.

James Milner's second-half missed penalty summed up an evening of frustration for Liverpool on Sunday as they failed to score against Southampton for the fourth time this season.

Despite the draw, Klopp insisted that the poor quality of the Anfield pitch had negatively affected his team's performance.

"I know nobody wants to hear it but I'm brave enough to say it - the pitch was really dry. We gave all the water we had but then after 15 minutes, with the wind, it was really dry. It was difficult, you could see it. A lot of passes you thought, 'why are they playing like this," goal.com quoted Klopp as saying.

"In a possession game you need to have the best, if possible, circumstances. We couldn't have this. It's nobody's fault, it's only a description," he added.

Although Liverpool sits at the third spot in the Premier League, they are just few points above Manchester City and Manchester United, who both have a game in hand as the top-four battle looks set to go down to the wire.

The Klopp-led side will now lock horns with West Ham on May 14.