Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has defended his goalkeeper after Allison had an uncharacteristically bad evening between the posts at Anfield.

The Reds lost 4-1 to table-toppers Manchester City marking Pep Guardiola's first win at the ground.

Ilkay Gundogan scored twice for the visitors - after missing a penalty in the first half.

Mo Salah did get one from the spot to make it 1-1 just after the hour mark but it wasn't enough with goals as well from Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden.

The second and third goals for City are moments that Allison will want to forget.

The Brazilian cleared the ball with his feet on both occasions - gifting City dangerous possession and he was caught out both times.

The result means City are 10 points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table and five clear of second placed Manchester United.

Speaking to Sky Sports at full-time Klopp said he felt there were elements to the performance that were positive from his side.

"In big parts of the game it was a brilliant game from my side, we played really good football and I really liked it.

"In the first-half [there was] really good football, against City that doesn't mean you are two or three-nil up, it only really means you are in the game.

"In the second-half City changed the system slightly, a little adaptation actually and we would be in the game again but at the start of the second-half we didn't give enough options to play and gave the first goal away, we gave them too much opportunities.

"They scored that goal, we scored the equaliser, at that moment the game could have gone in our direction, we were really good again and then we make two massive mistakes, thats clear.

"Everybody saw them [the mistakes], they used them. When you're 3-1 down in a game like this, where you were level and then really down, that's tough.

"Then Foden with a little genius situation where he scores the fourth goal.

"The performance was good, most of the time, really really good, on a high level.

"If we had played like tonight in more moments [of the season] we would not be 13 points behind City, or 10 points, whatever."

Klopp didn't have any explanation for what happened his usually impeccable goalkeeper, he also refused to throw him under the bus though saying he's won them games on numerous ocassions.

"The goals we made massive mistakes, against City that's a killer.

"You cannot hide them now. It's two as well that we didn't give him a lot of options in the moment, especially around the first one.

"I think the second one, yeah he just mis-hit the ball, I don't know.

"There's no real explanation for it, maybe he had cold feet or something, it sounds funny but it could be.

"Ali has saved our lives plenty of times before."