Naby Keïta’s goal in the 19th minute ensured that he would continue to burden Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Klopp magically made his priorities in a game between two Champions League semi-finals against Villarreal. “The changes have been good, the qualifier is so important,” said the Liverpool boss after making five changes to the team that started last week’s home win against Villarreal. “The team is the only reason we are here. All boys fully respond to the situation. “The boys who did not go up should have seen their faces at the last whistle. “The group is great, extremely talented and very good characters.” With Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara among those starting from the bench, Klopp included 36-year-old James Milner in his starting line-up and was left to greet his “role model” as a series of six consecutive home victories ended Newcastle. Milner, once a Newcastle player, made his Premier League debut with Leeds almost 20 years ago and excelled with this return to an old stadium. Asked if he had met a better 36-year-old, Klopp said with a smile: “No, but it would be interesting to see Luka Modric. Is not it 36? Obviously they were a good generation. It’s hard to be fitter than Milly. Jürgen Klopp during the victory of Liverpool. Photo: Peter Powell / EPA “She is a role model. I’ve told him, I can tell the whole world – nothing we have achieved in recent years would have happened without James Milner, it’s so easy. “Whether he was on the pitch or not, he set standards in a way that many people can not set standards and that educated us all. Milly had a great game today. “I liked this game – and it played a huge role in it.” As Milner helped Liverpool extend their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to 15 games, Klopp, who had not signed a contract extension at Anfield, highlighted the difficulties of competing on so many demanding fronts. “It was incredibly difficult for the boys today, to be honest. “We played two and a half days ago,” he said. “Under the circumstances it was a top performance. We did 100% against a team in top form in a top atmosphere. I’m really happy. It was a top week for me. “ As Klopp turned his attention to the second leg of the Champions League on Tuesday in Spain, Eddie Howe recalled that, despite Newcastle’s radical improvement since succeeding Steve Bruce in November, there is still much work to be done. “I would say that progress has been made,” said Howe, who led a once seemingly doomed team away from the risk of relegation. “We have improved in many aspects of our game, but it also shows that there is a gap that we need to bridge in the top teams. But that does not surprise me – I do not think it’s anyone else. We have work to do. The Fiver: sign up and receive our daily football email. “The biggest disappointment is probably individual. I do not think we really stood out. The team was fine, we were in the game until the end, but to win these games, you probably need six or seven players right at their top levels, and that was not there. It was close, but it was not close enough. We were not a real counterattack threat. “We were not right there.”