Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had no complaints after his team failed to collect a "dirty" point in the 2-0 Premier League loss to struggling Newcastle United.
Klopp's men swaggered into Sunday's St James' Park contest on the back of seven wins in eight matches across all competitions but they were short of their best throughout on Tyneside.
Martin Skrtel diverted Georginio Wijnaldum's 69th-minute shot into his own goal and the Netherlands international made sure of the points in stoppage time.
Liverpool full-back Alberto Moreno had a superb volleyed equaliser incorrectly ruled out for offside but Klopp refused to dwell on this incident as he reflected on his team failing to fire in all departments.
"If you think about which situation Newcastle is in and which situation we are in, they deserved the win," the former Borussia Dortmund coach told Sky Sports.
"Maybe the most we deserved was a point but we were not good enough today. We did not do what we could do.
"I have to analyse this game and learn more about it. We could do better, play much better football
"There was no counter-pressing, the pressing was not good. We were not compact enough.
"It is better that you lose a bad game than a good game but we have to make it better.
"I know the boys wanted to [win the game] but that's what can happen. You trust on something and it's not there. You wait for it but you have to work for it."
Klopp felt it was a "clear" mistake from the assistant referee when Moreno netted in sumptuous fashion after 79 minutes, with replays showing the Spaniard to be onside.
But he would not allow that to detract from a committed Newcastle performance that he felt earned just rewards for his under-fire counterpart Steve McClaren.
"I saw it once," he said. "I think the linesman would stay that he should have seen it. It was pretty clear
"At that moment we maybe deserved the point. Sometimes you have to get dirty points.
"I have no problem with dirty points but if you ask me who was the deserved winner it was Newcastle."
