Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp makes surprising Arsenal admission after watching his side draw 2-2 at Manchester United
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could not hide his frustration after Sunday's 2-2 draw at Manchester United left title rivals Arsenal on top of the Premier League.
The Reds went ahead through Luis Diaz in the first half at Old Trafford but were unable to capitalise upon their dominance and paid the price for missing a number of chances as goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo turned the game on its head in the second period.
Mohamed Salah's penalty five minutes from time earned a point for the visitors in the end, but Liverpool missed the chance to return to the top of the table and are behind leaders Arsenal on goal difference with seven matches left to play.
Luis Diaz put Liverpool ahead against Manchester at Old Trafford on Sunday, but the Reds only won a point in the end. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal still have to go to Old Trafford in May and asked about that fixture in his post-match press conference, Klopp said: "Arsenal is a good football team and if [United] play like they did today, Arsenal will win that game, I'm 100 per cent sure. I'm really sorry to say that but this is a matter of fact."
"We should've won both games [in the league and FA Cup vs United] and didn't. That's our fault. In all the time I've been here, we never dominated United like we did in these two games – but we didn't win them.
"We are who we are and we are where we are where [in the table] and I'm absolutely fine with that. I knew it would be super tricky until the end. Until yesterday, we were top of the table, now it's Arsenal. We want to be top after 38 matches."
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk echoed his managers thoughts as he said: "It's all our own fault, again. We should have been 2-0 up at half-time, at least. We created dangerous moments. We had them under control. It's just a shame. It definitely feels like a loss at this point.
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"Because we wasted our chances, we gave them a lifeline. Individual mistakes can happen in a game. There was still so much time in the game to put it right but we were in a rush and we were losing too many balls and challenges in midfield.
"Then it was a wide open. It feels like a loss. It feels similar to the cup game again. The first half was much better than we played then, we created chances and limited them. But obviously we know one moment can change the game if we don't finish it off."
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said Sunday's draw at Manchester United felt like a loss. (Image credit: Getty Images)
"That's the disappointing part. We should've won here today. The reality is that we didn't and now we have to make it up in all the other games that are coming."
Liverpool are in action at home to Crystal Palace next Sunday, with Arsenal up against Aston Villa at the Emirates the same day. Champions Manchester City, just a point behind the two, face Luton Town at the Etihad on Saturday.
Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.
