Liverpool lost their lead in the Premier League title race on Sunday, but manager Jurgen Klopp insists their 2-2 draw at Manchester United was not a case of two points dropped.
Mohamed Salah’s 84th-minute penalty ensured that the Reds got a point from the game, after falling behind courtesy of a second-half turnaround by the hosts spurred on by goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo.
But Klopp rejected the criticism after the final whistle, even though the point means that they remain behind Arsenal in the race for the top-flight crown this season.
The German manager told Sky Sports: ‘We had big chances before and after they scored.
‘That’s now the situation. It’s a point at Manchester United, I know people see it as two points lost.
‘I see it as we have a point more than we had before the game. It’s an away game at Manchester United, I think for us this game is more special than for other teams because against us they put an extra shift in. That’s how it is.
‘We’ll face that again in a week at Everton, these are the games we have to be ready for. We fully deserved the equaliser, that’s it.’
Liverpool took the lead at Old Trafford courtesy of Luis Diaz’s goal after 23 minutes, and the Reds will regret not making more of their chances during a dominant first-half display.
After the break, an error by Jarell Quansah allowed Fernandes to score from the centre-circle for the equaliser, before Mainoo curled in a beautiful strike from the edge of the penalty area to make it 2-1 to Manchester United.
The points were shared after Aaron Wan-Bissaka brought down Harvey Elliott in the penalty box, and Egyptian star Salah was able to convert.
Before the Merseyside derby against Everton later this month, Liverpool have Premier League clashes with Crystal Palace and Fulham, as well as both legs of the Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta.
Arsenal lead the Premier League with 71 points and a goal difference of +51, nine goals clear of Liverpool in second, and a point clear of Manchester City in third.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
