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If only a football match was 90 minutes – or at least 95, or even 99.
Then Manchester United would go into today’s home game against Liverpool flying high on the back of a 3-2 victory against Chelsea on Thursday.
Alejandro Garnacho gave the Reds a 3-2 lead in the 67th minute at Stamford Bridge and Erik ten Hag’s side held on to that until the 100th minute, when Cole Palmer equalised from the spot.
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A minute later the 21-year-old scored his fifth in two games to send United to an unlikely defeat. For Ten Hag, the victory has in effect killed off any hopes his side still had of finding a place in next season’s Champions League.
The Dutch coach though is hoping that his side will show a reaction in today’s game.
Said Ten Hag:
The defeat against Chelsea was the second time in as many matches that United had given away a 98th minute lead. Last weekend Brentford equalised in the 99th minute.
Added Ten Hag:
The home side can take some comfort that they secured a victory against Liverpool in the FA Cup last month and beat them in the league last season.
In the FA Cup Marcus Rashford scored one of the goals that allowed United turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 extra-time victory. The England international started on the bench against Chelsea, but Ten Hag said he can see that Rashford’s form is progressing.
“He has a big motivation because he wants to be successful with us … He wants to fight for a Champions League spot and the Euros are coming. So his motivation should be high.”
Klopp’s substitutions though helped Liverpool score two second half goals to move back to the top of the table. It could well be though when the match kicks off at Old Trafford today that Liverpool no longer find themselves at the top.
Victory for Arsenal at Brighton & Hove, or a four-goal win for Manchester City at Crystal Palace would allow them to leapfrog Klopp’s side.
Unlike their rivals – City and Arsenal – Liverpool have it in their own hands and not dropping a point in their final eight matches will give them the championship.
“That’s obviously how it is in the Premier League. If it’s a tight race then the best place you can be is in it. We are in it and that’s cool, that’s good. And now let’s keep fighting, that’s how it is. Obviously the next one is the big one, like they all are.
Ahead of the match, both coaches called on their supporters not to sing offensive chants after United fans taunted Liverpool players and fans about the Hillsborough disaster.
Klopp called on fans to “show a bit of class. It is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these things".
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"I just see two of the biggest clubs in the world, so let’s just show a bit of class in these moments, don’t sing this or sing that.”
His words were echoed by Ten Hag:
“This is one of the truly great rivalries in world sport, for so many of the right reasons and it is our responsibility to keep it that way.”
