Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has boldly claimed that Manchester United will lose to Arsenal if they played like they did in Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with the Reds.
The Merseyside giants are no longer in control of the Premier League title race owing to their pulsating stalemate at Old Trafford, where a glut of wasted first-half chances came back to bite them.
Liverpool should have been out of sight at half time, having had a whopping 15 shots in the entire opening period, while Man United did not register a single attempt on target, the first time they failed to do so in a home Premier League game since October 2015.
The Reds only had a Luis Diaz strike to show for their efforts, though, and just five minutes into the second half, Erik ten Hag's men were gifted a route back into the game, as Bruno Fernandes intercepted Jarell Quansah's sloppy pass and magnificently found the net from inside the centre circle with Caoimhin Kelleher off his line.
The resurgent Red Devils then established a slender advantage in the 67th minute thanks to a stunning Kobbie Mainoo finish, but Mohamed Salah's penalty six minutes from time salvaged a point for Klopp's men.
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Klopp "100%" sure of Arsenal victory at Old Trafford
A total of 28 shots were fired on Andre Onana's goal at Old Trafford, adding to the 34 that Liverpool registered without success in the December draw at Anfield, taking their attempts tally to a staggering 62 in their two matches with the Red Devils.
Since data became available, no side has had as many attempts on goal against a single opponent in a Premier League season, but the Reds remain second in the table owing to their failure to triumph, behind Arsenal on goal difference.
The Gunners still have to go to Old Trafford on May 11, but speaking in his post-game press conference, Klopp claimed that Arsenal would be certain to triumph on that date if Man United produce a similar display to their showing on Sunday.
Asked if he felt Man United could earn a result against Arsenal, Klopp said: "Probably. If we are still around then that would be great. But Arsenal is a good football team. If they (Man Utd) play like they did today they (Arsenal) will win the game. I am 100% sure of that."
While Liverpool and Arsenal have both accrued 71 points from their 31 outings this term, Mikel Arteta's men are keeping their Merseyside counterparts at bay thanks to a massive +51 goal difference, compared to the Reds' +42.
Klopp backs youngster to recover from mistake
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Quansah - who has usually been a reliable presence at the back for the Reds this term - was guilty of the mistake which led to Fernandes's stunning equaliser, and Klopp has warned the youngster that he will make at least one more error on the pitch, but he hailed the 21-year-old's response to his blunder.
"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," Klopp added.
"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."
Liverpool briefly divert their attention away from the Premier League title race on Thursday evening, when they host Atalanta BC in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final showdown.
Ben Knapton
