Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he cannot explain his side's performance during the 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this afternoon.

The Reds led twice through goals from Daniel Sturridge and Sadio Mane, but on both occasions they were pegged back by penalties from Jermain Defoe.

Liverpool had been looking for five straight league wins for the first time under Klopp, but the German suggested that the two-day turnaround between matches prevented them from playing their best football.

"I am not able to explain it because I don't know exactly what I saw, my team were fighting but I wasn't sure if they could do it. We can play better football but I'm not sure if you can play better with that break," he told BBC Sport.

"I don't know how it feels when you have to do the things you have to do today. I told the players if nobody wanted to play I would never speak about and not tell anyone, but nobody came and that was a good thing. About the football we played, I actually have no idea how to speak about it.

"There was no foul before the free kick for the second penalty. You need a little bit of luck, but Sunderland worked hard too and maybe they deserved it."

The results means that Liverpool miss the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea to three points.