Jurgen Klopp is confident Arsenal will win away at Manchester United later in the season even though his Liverpool team could not do so on Sunday. The Reds were held to a frustrating 2-2 Premier League draw at Old Trafford which allowed the Gunners to reclaim top spot via their superior goal difference.
Liverpool were in complete control at half-time against a United team that had not managed a single shot on goal in the first 45 minutes. Luis Diaz converted from a corner to put the visitors in front in Manchester.
But brilliant goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, taking advantage of poor Liverpool defending, sent Old Trafford into a frenzy and put United in the ascendancy. The Reds rescued a late draw through Mohamed Salah from the penalty spot after Harvey Elliott had been tripped by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Yet Liverpool still had enough chances to win the match comfortably. And Klopp admits their title rivals Arsenal, who have won 10 of their 11 league matches in 2024 after a 3-0 thrashing of Brighton on Saturday night, should beat United at the same stadium on May 11.
“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.
Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at United came just three weeks after a 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final loss to the same opponents at the same venue which bore a very similar theme to this contest.
The visitors had 53 shots on goal across those two matches but failed to win either of them. And captain Virgil van Dijk rued the same mistakes that cost them in the cup.
The Dutch defender, visibly deflated, 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.
“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.
“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.”
The Old Trafford draw means Arsenal are ahead of Liverpool at the top of the table on goal difference. Both on 71 points, Arsenal’s tally is +51 to Liverpool’s +42 with seven matches remaining of the campaign.
Reigning champions Manchester City are just one point behind the duo, and have a goal difference of +40. They play first next weekend at home to relegation-battling Luton Town at 3pm on Saturday.
Arsenal and Liverpool both play on the Sunday, the Reds against Crystal Palace at Anfield at 2pm and the Gunners against Aston Villa at the Emirates at 4.30pm.