Jurgen Klopp has warned Manchester United they’ll lose to Arsenal next month if they play like they did against his Liverpool side.
The leadership of the Premier League table changed hands at the weekend as Liverpool only managed a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils after Arsenal beat Brighton.
But for the second time in the space of three weeks, Liverpool leave Old Trafford wondering what might have been as they failed to add to the 1-0 lead they had in what was a dominant first-half display.
And five minutes into the second half they were made to pay for being wasteful as Man United got level when Bruno Fernandes latched onto a loose pass by Jarell Quansah before expertly guiding the ball over Reds goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from 40 yards out.
Kobbie Mainoo then put Man United ahead with a brilliant curling effort but Mohamed Salah spared Liverpool a damaging defeat with a late penalty.
Virgil van Dijk was lamenting Liverpool’s ability to kill the game post-match, and Klopp warned Erik ten Hag’s side they won’t get the same luck when they face the Gunners in their penultimate match of the season.
“Arsenal are a good football team and if they play like today Arsenal will win that game, I’m 100 per cent sure,” Klopp said in his press conference.
“I’m really sorry to say that but this is matter of fact.
“We should’ve won both games [league and FA Cup tie] and didn’t. That’s our fault.”
It was a good point for Man United but the performance is a major concern in the eyes of club legend Roy Keane.
“You need those characters, those leaders. I’m repeating myself every week on here but that’s what you need from a group of players,” Keane told Sky Sports.
“The way Man United is playing is like a mid-table team, a small club. You don’t know what you’re going to get.
“There’s a bit of excitement but if you want to win the big prizes, to compete, you’ve got to turn up week in, week out.
“And these players don’t, the stats will tell you that. They’ve lost 12 games, the goal difference [-1]… nowhere near good enough.”
However, Red Devils boss Ten Hag was encouraged by what he saw from his players in the second half.
“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 half-space and then switch and then that finish was brilliant.”
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.
