Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool ‘should have won the game’ after his team dropped points in the title race with a draw at Manchester United.
Liverpool missed the chance to move back to the top of the Premier League table after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.
After a chaotic FA Cup exit to the same opponents last month, Klopp’s side were again punished for failing to take their chances. Luis Diaz steered in an opener to hand the Reds the lead at half-time, as the Colombian reacted to Darwin Nunez’s flick-on to turn in.
There appeared to be only one winner at the interval, with Liverpool having fired 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes. In contrast, the home side failed to record a single effort on goal before the break.
However, Jarell Quansah’s error handed United a route back into the game, as the defender’s slack square pass was seized upon by Bruno Fernandes. The midfielder let fly from distance with Caoimhin Kelleher out of position to score a spectacular equaliser.
Momentum with the home team, Kobbie Mainoo produced a stunning individual moment to put the Red Devils in front. The teenager turned inside the area and bent a brilliant finish into the far corner, the latest highlight from a career on a steep rise.
Liverpool regrouped after that setback and found an equaliser. Harvey Elliott went down under a clumsy challenge from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mohamed Salah stepped up to convert from the spot. The Reds, however, were unable to find a winner, with their lack of a clinical touch costly.
“We should have won the game, that is clear. We should have had other goals in the first half already. No shots in the first half and 1-0 is the lowest we could expect,” Klopp saod to Sky Sports.
“Really well done from Bruno. Then the stadium is coming and we needed a few minutes to settle again and they scored another screamer. We had big chances before and after they scored. As far as I’m concerned, we have a point more than we did before. They put an extra shift in, that’s how it is. We will face that again against Everton. Fully deserved equaliser.
“I think the Dom Szoboszlai chance was an incredible save from Onana. The other ones, we were in a bit of a rush, I would have loved us to take an extra touch. We have to be calm in the whole journey. The goals we scored brought us to where we are right now. We have Europa League on Thursday and then it’s Crystal Palace. Games are coming thick and fast, that is good for us. I’m not over the moon but it’s OK.
“I’m not angry at all with the boys but in the game I’m not just going to let things happen. We dropped too deep. There were plenty of situations where we could have defended the ball. You need to be proactive.
“We play now at home against Atalanta, difficult game but at home and then another. We don’t have many home games left. The team who wins the league in the end should deserve it. We are in the race and I’m absolutely fine with it.”
