Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heads to Old Trafford knowing not only do his side have to rectify the mistakes of last month’s FA Cup defeat but also avoid the sort of slip-up which ultimately cost them the title five years ago.
In the first of their epic Premier League run-ins with Manchester City, the Reds won 10 of their last 12 matches but draws at Manchester United and Everton saw them finish second by a point with a record runners-up tally of 97.
Klopp has won just twice and drawn four in 10 visits to their arch-rivals but that has to change on his final, short trip down the M62 if they are to maintain their advantage at the top of the table.
Three weeks ago their bid for an unprecedented quadruple was ended by a goal in the final minute of extra time and it is their only defeat in the last dozen matches.
“We were really good that day but we didn’t finish the situations off,” was Klopp’s assessment as his side looked like they were running on empty in the additional 30 minutes.
“Extra-time was too much for us and we couldn’t avoid the mistakes we could before (in normal time).
“It was the day we couldn’t control it any more, United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home but we have to do is what we did from minute 15 to 70-something.
“Football is not that easy. We have to find a way to cause United problems. They will try the same.
“Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good game if we want something from it.”
Last month’s game was marred by incidents of tragedy chanting about the Hillsborough disaster, resulting in some arrests, and additional work has been done by both clubs on the subject in the intervening weeks.
“I think it is super-important. I don’t hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline but I get told it happens and that is obviously not great,” added Klopp.
“But in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these kinds of things.”
Liverpool have announced a two percent rise in season ticket prices for the second successive year, having frozen the cost for the six campaigns previously. Junior tickets, however, will remain the same for a 10th successive season.
