Jurgen Klopp slams Liverpool defending after Tottenham rout

LONDON: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was left lamenting his side's "bad, bad, bad defending" after a 4-1 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday all but ended the Merseyside club's title hopes just nine games into the Premier League season.

Defeat left Liverpool a huge 12 points behind leaders Manchester City, with Klopp's ninth-placed side now below unheralded Burnley in the table.

Harry Kane scored twice in each half, with Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli also on target at Wembley in between the England forward's two goals.

Mohamed Salah pulled one back for Liverpool in front of a record Premier League crowd of 80,827 that included Argentina's all-time great Diego Maradona and basketball star Kobe Bryant. 

It took Kane just four minutes to open the scoring, setting the pattern for the match and Klopp told Sky Sports: "The whole game the whole result was all our fault -- Tottenham was good, they needed to be good, but we made it much too easy for them.

"The first goal was a little throw in and we are not really there. It was just really bad, bad, bad defending," added the German boss, whose side thrashed Maribor 7-0 in the Champions League in midweek.

Meanwhile delighted Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said: "It was fantastic, a fantastic performance, the players were fantastic and we started very well.

"I am so happy for our fans, in front of Diego Maradona, Kobe Bryant."

As for England star Kane's contribution, Pochettino added: "Harry Kane is a fantastic player, one of the best strikers, it's difficult to find words to describe him -- he's unbelievable, so professional, the effort when we don't have the ball, everything is fantastic."