ReactionJürgen Klopp press conference: The manager's assessment of Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool
Jürgen Klopp spoke of his mixed emotions after Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Luis Diaz’s 23rd-minute strike was the Reds’ only reward for a dominant first-half display and their slender advantage had been overturned by the midway point of the second period, as Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo replied for United.
Liverpool’s point was gained thanks to a Mohamed Salah penalty six minutes from time and Klopp’s team could have secured all three in stoppage time, as Diaz connected with Andy Robertson’s knockdown but cleared the crossbar from close range.
With just seven matches remaining, this season’s Premier League title race is now even tighter, with the second-placed Reds trailing Arsenal on goal difference but sitting one point above Manchester City.
Read a summary of Klopp’s post-match press conference below.
On his emotions following the game...
It’s obviously mixed. [I am] happy with a lot of parts of the game. Being 1-0 up at Old Trafford and having a 15-0 shooting stat is incredible. It says to me immediately again there is probably something around the finishing, it was either exceptional goalkeeping – which was the case for one situation for Dom Szoboszlai, [which] was an incredible save – but besides that we should and could have been calmer and clearer in moments. It’s fine, you are 1-0 up now and so still fine. Come outside [for the second half] and still controlling the game and then we gave the ball away. These mistakes happened before and will happen after today as well, so that is not a problem. First you have to use it like Bruno did, it was a pretty exceptional finish. In this mood lift in the stadium, atmosphere lifted in the stadium, they pretty much scored the second and then we controlled the game again.
We got the penalty and scored an equaliser – and could have scored more before or after. We played really good in so many moments and we had a five- or 10-minute period where they score. For the second goal, we don’t push up properly and that’s why they find him between the lines, he can turn and then in the end it ends up with an incredible finish as well. After that, we were again in charge. Now you can say if we had that much of a dominance for long parts we should win the game – yes, that’s true – but you all are long enough in football that it doesn’t mean you will win. It just means you should and that is obviously different very often to the final scoreline. Two-two, I am not over the moon about it, I don’t think it’s the best result I’ve ever seen, but I am fine. Now we recover and play Atalanta in the Europa League.
On whether being second in the table ‘matters’ at this stage of the season given how tight it is between Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City...
That matters after 38 matchdays a lot. There is a big difference after 38 matchdays. Look, you will – and people, our supporters as well – tell us [Arsenal] have the better goal difference and now we have to go for that. That would be the dumbest thing we can do. It doesn’t happen on purpose. You don’t win a game and want to score eight goals and it happens. We are who we are, we are how we are and that is why we are in the race and I am absolutely fine with that. I knew it would be super-tricky until the end. That’s all. Again, until yesterday, we were top of the table and now it is Arsenal.
We want to be there after 38 [games], after the last matchday. It’s always better to be there the whole time and get some distance between you [and the other teams]. We are fine with our situation. I wish we would have more points, but I am absolutely fine – and I am actually over the moon these boys brought us into that situation. The same boys that missed a few chances today are the boys who brought us 71 points, so I am absolutely fine with that.
On whether he expects there to be twists in the final weeks of the title race…
It is likely. I cannot remember it anymore how many games we won in the run-in and City won in the run-in [in 2019 and 2022] but you have to win a lot of football games. You should not do what we did today – you should not do it now constantly, that will not be enough, definitely not. But we know that, we know that. But then still, if you work with human beings you have just to take the things you get: I saw the boys wanting, I saw a top team today, really, in a difficult away game.
It’s for us much more difficult than for all other teams. You usually come to United and people care a little bit more or a little bit less but when we are coming it’s obviously game on, so that’s tricky. We dealt quite well with it, we played now two games and got one point and got knocked out [of the Emirates FA Cup] but in all the time since I am here, I don’t think we ever dominated United like we did in these two games. But we didn’t get the result so that’s then how it is, so obviously there is space for improvement. We knew that anyway and we will keep going with all we have, but now we play Europa League.
On Jarell Quansah’s performance and the character he showed after his mistake in the lead-up to United’s first goal…
Look, as a professional football player – [and] he will play in the Premier League, he will play for Liverpool – I have the bad news: it will not be his last mistake, unfortunately, but that’s how life is… I thought he dealt extremely well with it and the boys dealt well with it. That’s part of the business, that’s part of the game. We want to play football, we want to keep the ball, we want to have the ball, we want to be playing [in the] build-up, all these kind of things. It is not a great situation but how I said, there were bigger mistakes in football and they were not used, but Bruno saw the opportunity and took it and that’s how it is. So, absolutely no blame or whatever, not at all, no criticism. That just happens, he will learn from it and that’s the best thing that can happen.