Klopp stays calm after points dropped at Old Trafford
Visitors rue missed chances but earn draw as Ten Hag’s men let lead slip again
LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp saw Manchester United throw a spanner in the works of their bid to equal their arch- rivals’ record of 20 league titles but he does not expect Erik ten Hag’s side to do them any favours when Arsenal come calling.
Klopp said he was “absolutely fine” with their situation after two dropped points in the title race after the draw kept Arsenal top of the table on goal difference.
The Gunners are due at Old Trafford on the penultimate weekend of the season, but the Liverpool boss does not hold out much hope of a helping hand.
“Probably if we are still around then it would be great, but Arsenal is a good football team and if they [ United] play like they did today Arsenal will win that game, I’m 100 per cent sure,” said Klopp, whose side took just two points off United this season.
“I’m really sorry to say it, but we should have won both games and didn’t. That’s our fault.”
Mohamed Salah rescued a point with an 84th- minute penalty after the visitors failed to capitalise on their first- half dominance which brought only Luis Diaz’s opener. A mistake by young centre- back Jarell Quansah allowed Bruno Fernandes to equalise with a lob over goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from the centre circle before Kobbie Mainoo put the home side ahead with a magnificent strike.
“The feelings are obviously mixed. I’m happy with a lot of parts of the game, being 1- 0 up at Old Trafford and having a 15- 0 shooting stat [ in the first half] is incredible. We should and could have been calmer and clearer in moments,” added Klopp, who was left to rue failing to capitalise on their first- half dominance.
“It [ league position] matters after 38 matchdays. People and our supporters as well will tell us now we need to better our goal difference and go for that – that would be the dumbest thing we could do. We are who we are and we are how we are and that’s why we are in the race. I’m absolutely fine with that.
“We are fine with our situation. I wish we had more points, but I’m absolutely fine and over the moon actually that these boys brought us into that situation. The same boys who missed today a few chances are the boys who brought us 71 points.”
Ten Hag was equally happy with how his side responded after being outplayed for large parts of the game.
“First half we lost the duels and our decision- making in the half spaces, we weren’t quick enough,” he said.
“We encouraged the team at half time to win those duels. We didn’t take advantage in the first half and the second half we did.
“We needed a moment in the game to punish a mistake of Liverpool, but that got us back in the game.
“It [ their second goal] was a very good team goal, a goal from out of the game plan, so I’m very proud the team could transfer this in the way we did to get the ball to the far- side halfspace and then switch and then that finish was brilliant.”
Ten Hag also had praise for 19- yearold centre- back Willy Kambwala on only his second Premier League start.
“The decision? Old soldiers die and new have to come in. Already a long time he has been training with us and his progress is amazing during training, we didn’t have any doubt,” he added. “We were convinced he could do the job, I’m very pleased he could do the performance. It’s another signal and message for Manchester United has high potential.
“If you have more players available, especially in the back line where we have had 27 combinations over the course of the season, the future will be very good.”
However, Ten Hag was not happy his side capitulated late on for the third successive game.
“It’s very disappointing when you put yourselves three times in the week in a winning position just before the end of the game, but then drop points,” he said. “We have all seen some poor decisions. All three games had poor decisions and not every time the same players. We have to improve. The sooner the better.”
Three weeks on from Ten Hag’s men edging an FA Cup classic at the end of extra time, this age- old rivalry resumed in a similarly chaotic clash in the Premier League yesterday.
Beginning just like that tie ended, Alejandro Garnacho raced through to round Kelleher and score inside 71 seconds. But the flag quickly went up as the teenager had strayed offside when being put through by Fernandes and United would go on to fail to register a first- half shot as their intense start dramatically tailed off.
In the 23rd minute, Liverpool’s dominance paid off. An Andy Robertson corner was flicked on at the near post by Darwin Nunez, with United’s lax defence punished as the inexplicably open Diaz volleyed into the ground and beyond Andre Onana.
United continued to flounder but used a get of jail free card in spectacular fashion as their first shot brought a 50th- minute leveller. Quansah’s misplaced pass was picked off by Fernandes, who hit an outrageous, first- time effort from 45 yards that flew beyond Kelleher and bounced home.
Another moment of individual quality had Old Trafford shaking in the 67th minute. Mainoo collected the ball at the halfway line and drove forward, playing to the left and running into the 18- yard box. The teenager demanded the ball, turned into space when he received it and brilliantly bent home to spark bedlam.
But the visitors were not to be denied. Aaron Wan- Bissaka’s challenge on substitute Harvey Elliott led to a penalty, with Salah sending Onana the wrong way.