MANCHESTER – Manchester United will be fired up by their last-gasp defeat against Chelsea when they host Premier League arch-rivals Liverpool on April 7, said manager Erik ten Hag.
He added that United would need to use the anger caused by the 4-3 loss at Stamford Bridge as fuel, as the sixth-placed side look to erase a nine-point gap to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
“We have to recover quickly. We have to turn this around,” he said. “We will be mad, angry and you can take a lot of energy from that.”
United have dropped five points in the past week after conceding late goals in the loss at Chelsea and last weekend’s 1-1 draw away to Brentford.
With eight matches remaining, their hopes of securing a Champions League spot are bleak.
“The points are getting very expensive because the games are running out,” the Dutch manager said. “We need to learn how to win games, how you bring big games over the line and get the three points.”
He will be sweating over his defence. At Stamford Bridge, Raphael Varane was substituted for the second game in a row after limping towards the end of the first half. The Frenchman was replaced by Northern Irish veteran Jonny Evans, who played only 21 minutes before French teenager Willy Kambwala had to be called on.
With Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez already ruled out for at least a month, that leaves only Kambwala, 19, and Harry Maguire as the only natural centre backs, should Varane and Evans fail fitness tests.
Ten Hag said this United side, who beat Liverpool 4-3 with a late extra-time winner in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March, have the character and resilience to put up a fight.
When asked if they need to produce a flawless end to the season to make the top four, he added: “Yes, but that is also what I said before (the Chelsea) match.
“I have to manage the team. We have qualities, some great players. We can play to a very high standard.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his title-chasing side must cut out the mistakes they made at Old Trafford in the FA Cup defeat about three weeks ago.
The Reds beat Sheffield United 3-1 on April 4 to go two points clear at the top of the table, ahead of second-placed Arsenal’s match against Brighton. The result was unavailable at press time.
“We were really good that day, but we didn’t finish the situations off,” said the German, who has won just twice and drawn four times in 10 visits to Old Trafford.
“Extra time was too much for us.... United turned the game around and United are a top side playing at home, but we have to do what we did from minute 15 to 70-something.”
Klopp was optimistic about his squad’s fitness ahead of the big match. Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson returned from injury against Sheffield United.
Wataru Endo was rested for the match and is expected to play at Old Trafford.
There is still no word on Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker or Diogo Jota’s return, though.
With the last meeting between both clubs being marred by incidents of offensive chanting about the 1989 Hillsborough disaster resulting in arrests, additional work has been done by both sides on the subject and both managers have urged their supporters to refrain from repeating those chants.
“I just see it that way – two of the biggest football clubs in the world. Let’s just show a bit of class in these moments,” said Klopp.
REUTERS, AFP
