Jurgen Klopp pinpoints the 'dumbest thing' Liverpool could do after Manchester United stalemate
Jurgen Klopp has said that Liverpool would be dumb if they shifted their focus on bettering their goal difference after their 2-2 draw against Manchester United.
The Reds traveled to Old Trafford on Sunday (April 7) in hopes of securing their first win against the Red Devils this season. They were handed a priceless first-half lead after Luis Diaz's acrobatic finish from a corner kick in the 23rd minute.
Bruno Fernandes then capitalized on a stray Jarell Quansah pass to score from a long way out just five minutes into the second half. A screamer from Kobbie Mainoo (67') handed Manchester United the initiative but an 84th-minute Mohamed Salah penalty ensured the points were shared.
The draw means Liverpool are no longer the league leaders, with Arsenal leapfrogging them on goal difference after 31 matches. Speaking on whether the Reds should look to cut down the +9 goal difference (GD) lead Arsenal hold over them, Klopp said (via Liverpool Echo):
"(Being top) matters after 38 matchday days, a lot. People and our supporters as well will tell us now we need to better our goal difference and go for that, but that would be the dumbest thing we could do.
"That doesn’t happen on purpose, you don’t go into a game wanting to score eight goals and it happens. “We are who we are and we are how we are and that’s why we are in the race. I’m absolutely fine with that."
Both teams at the top have 71 points, with Arsenal boasting an impressive +51 goal difference. Manchester City are third with 70 points with a GD of +40.
Ex-Liverpool star believes Tottenham could be kingmakers in the Premier League title race
Danny Murphy feels Tottenham Hotspur could have a big say in deciding who wins the Premier League title this season.
Spurs recently broke into the top four after a 3-1 league win against Nottingham Forest on April 7. They still trail the two leaders by 11 points and are arguably out of the title race already.
Murphy, however, believes Tottenham's fixtures against Manchester City (home), Arsenal (home), and Liverpool (away) within the next four weeks could be decisive in crowning the new champions. The former Liverpool midfielder wrote in his BBC column:
"I have a sneaky feeling that Tottenham are going to have a big say in who ends up as champions because on their day they can beat anyone, and they still have to play all of the top three.
"Spurs are going for the Champions League places and have a wonderful group of players but, on top of that, they have got this chaotic, front-foot, way of playing where anything can happen, home or away."
Tottenham notably beat Liverpool 2-1 and drew against Arsenal (2-2) and Manchester City (3-3) in the reverse fixtures this season.