Gomez blow for Liverpool
Manchester
Jose Mourinho accused his Manchester United players of shooting themselves in the foot as he saw his under-strength team gift Arsenal two goals in a 2-2 draw that extended their winless Premier League run to four games.
United, who started with Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku on the bench, showed great spirit to twice come back, with equalisers from Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard earning a point.
But, after a defeat at Manchester City and dispiriting draws with Crystal Palace and Southampton, United are now 18 points behind leaders City.
United also trail Chelsea and Arsenal, who are now unbeaten in 20 games, by eight points in the battle for a place in the top four.
And Mourinho, who saw a bad David de Gea error and Marcos Rojo own goal twice hand Arsenal the lead, believes the performance continued their run of self-inflicted harm.
“We scored four goals and we drew 2-2,” joked Mourinho.
“But we scored four goals and even where we play well, we always shoot ourselves.”
Mourinho’s frustration was especially understandable given that Arsenal’s opening goal, after 26 minutes, featured that rarest of occurrences, a mistake by his Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea.
Chris Smalling slipped at Lucas Torreira’s 26th-minute corner, allowing Mustafi the space to send a free header bouncing into the ground and goalwards.
It looked a routine save but De Gea succeeded only in pushing the ball into the air, two-handed, over his own head and over the goalline, despite Ander Herrera’s desperation clearance.
But United responded within four minutes as Rojo unleashed a terrific free-kick which Bernd Leno kept out at the foot of his left-hand post.
Herrera responded quickly, although replays suggested he may have been fractionally offside, reaching the loose ball on the byline and turning it into the area where Martial converted.
That dramatic pattern would be repeated after 68 minutes when Arsenal regained a lead they only held for 74 seconds.
Lacazette played a one-two with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and advanced into the area where Rojo tackled him from behind and succeeded only in turning the ball into his own net.
Lukaku caused uncertainty in the visitors’ area and as Sead Kolasinac tried to turn the ball back to his goalkeeper, Lingard ghosted in for a simple finish. –
– Jurgen Klopp hit out at Burnley’s physical approach as Liverpool were left with a major injury worry after battling back from a goal down to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season on Wednesday.
A 12th win means second-placed Liverpool have made their best-ever start to a topflight season after 15 games but Klopp revealed his plea to match officials to protect his players from a series of robust sliding challenges from the Clarets was largely ignored.
Joe Gomez (above) faces a spell on the sidelines after the England defender was carried off early in the 3-1 win at Turf Moor, which cut Manchester City’s advantage at the top to two points.
Gomez will have scans on an injured left ankle following a full-blooded challenge from defender Ben Mee.
“Burnley had a specific plan to be really aggressive and really physical,” said Liverpool’s German boss.
“Joe is injured, and probably not only a little bit. We have to see what he’s like. We don’t know at the moment and we have to see tomorrow. It’s his ankle.”
Burnley manager Sean Dyche made no apologies for his side’s approach as the hosts picked up just one yellow card, but Klopp added: “I’m pretty sure saying this won’t make me a lot of friends here, but that’s not the job I have.
“I said (to the officials) after the first challenge, I don’t know who did it, but it was like a sliding challenge where the player came in from six or seven yards and gets the ball.
“The referees have to make sure it doesn’t happen. You get the ball, nice, but then boom, you get the player as well.”
Klopp make seven changes from the Merseyside derby victory over Everton but it almost backfired until goals from James Milner, substitute Roberto Firmino and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed a comeback win after Jack Cork had given the hosts the lead early in the second half.
Burnley are only kept off the bottom of the table on goal difference after taking two points from the past 24. –
Burnley