Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said Liverpool had come to Old Trafford
with the aim of stifling his side following Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw
between the teams.
United,
chasing a 10th successive win in all competitions, fell behind to James
Milner’s first-half penalty and needed an 84th-minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic header
to rescue a point.
Jurgen
Klopp’s Liverpool are the league’s top scorers with 49 goals, but Mourinho
claimed their approach against United showed a different side to their game.
“We
were the team that attacked and Liverpool were the team that defended,” he told
BBC Sport.
“Let’s
see if the critics are fair. I enjoyed it, but I will obviously be disappointed
we didn’t get the three points.
“They
were clever. They took their time, they know how to play football and control
the emotions of the game. They knew they would be in trouble in the final few
minutes.”
While
Liverpool posed a steady threat on the counter-attack in the second half,
United had the lion’s share of the play and duly levelled when Ibrahimovic
looped in a header from Antonio Valencia’s cross.
“I
have a problem with my neck because I was always looking to the left side,”
Mourinho quipped, in a reference to the end United were attacking during the
second half.
The
result kept United in sixth place, four points off the Champions League places
and 12 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
Liverpool
rose one place to third, finishing the weekend seven points below Chelsea and
beneath second-place Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
Liverpool
manager Klopp said his players had struggled to handle United’s “long balls”
following the introduction of Marouane Fellaini, who headed against the post in
the build-up to the equaliser.
He
was also reluctant to be drawn on the suggestion United substitute Wayne Rooney
was fortunate to avoid a card for a late challenge on Milner.
“How
could I be surprised? I have the worst position in the stadium,” Klopp told his
post-match press conference.
“If
you are surprised, do me a favour: write it. For example, if it’s an ugly
challenge, write it. Don’t make it a story of it when I say it.”
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