Liverpool avoids damaging defeat to Man United but drops points
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND >> Having ended Liverpool’s quadruple challenge, Manchester United looked set to deliver a major blow to Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of bowing out at the end of the season with a second Premier League title.
Time will tell how damaging a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday will be to the Merseyside club in the threeway fight at the top, but it could have been so much worse if not for Mohamed Salah’s late penalty.
“We should have won the game, that is clear,” Klopp said. “As far as I’m concerned, we have a point more than we did before.”
It wasn’t only the prospect of defeat at the home of Liverpool’s fiercest rivals that felt so significant, but the nature of it.
Klopp’s team had totally dominated by raining down shots on United’s goal in a mismatched first half, but only managed to lead 1-0 at the break through Luis Diaz’s goal.
The atmosphere totally changed when Bruno Fernandes struck a stunning equalizer from inside the center circle after a Liverpool mistake and Kobbie Mainoo curled a superb shot into the top corner to give United the lead.
After victories for Arsenal and Manchester City on Saturday, Liverpool was heading toward a second defeat to United, after losing in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup last month.
That was until Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s reckless lunge at Harvey Elliott led to referee Anthony Taylor pointing to the spot and Salah converting.
The draw moved Liverpool level on points with first-place Arsenal, but behind on goal difference. City is a point behind in third in an ever-tightening title race.
Erik ten Hag needed a performance from his players in front of new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.
A desperately disappointing week had seen his team blow winning positions in stoppage time at Brentford and Chelsea to deliver blows to United’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
While this was another late setback, United’s response to being totally outplayed in the first half will have provided some encouragement to the manager.
But the pressure will still be on him to salvage a campaign that has failed to live up to expectations.