Premier League news LIVE: Latest press conference updates as Jurgen Klopp responds to Liverpool defeat
Liverpool are in action in the Premier League’s early kick-off following defeat to Everton at Goodison Park in midweek
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Manchester City closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to just one point after strolling to a 4-0 win over Brighton last night, and now Liverpool prepare to head to West Ham United as Jurgen Klopp’s side bid to keep their fading title challenge alive.
The Reds are in action in the Premier League’s early kick-off on Saturday, after Klopp conceded that Liverpool require City and Arsenal to have a “crisis” in order to win the title in his last season in charge following defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
It’s been a busy week off the pitch for Liverpool, too, with Arne Slot confirming that he is interested in the Anfield hotseat after the Reds opened talks with Feyenoord for the Dutchman.
There’s also a North London derby to build up to, as Arsenal travel to Tottenham Hotspur looking to keep their title challenge on track. Anything other than a victory would give the champions the chance to go top, with a game in hand, as Pep Guardiola’s side head to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
We’ll have the Premier League news and updates from today’s pre-match press conferences ahead of the weekend’s fixtures
Ten Hag on relationship with the fans:
“I think the fans are behind us. When entering Old Trafford, I heard the reception, it was louder than I had heard. When we are away, always very supportive, backing the team and I think there is a good connection with the team and the fans.”
Ten Hag on facing Burnley next:
“They play high-intensity football. They have changed their approach slightly in the season. They have had good results and are hard to beat, and all the compliments to Vincent and his staff.
“We can’t afford to think [it’s only X] about any opponent. With the team we have available, we have to be creative. We have to take every opponent with 100% focus. We can’t allow and do a little bit less.”
Erik ten Hag on Marcus Rashford
Erik ten Hag added his own support for Marcus Rashford after the forward hit out at the ‘abuse’ he’s received this season. The United boss said: “I have a lot of sympathy for him.
“So last season, I think he had the best season he has had in his career, he scored 30 goals, and you see what he is capable of.
“Then this season, he didn’t give the performances, and people are very critical, and I think we have to back him. Everyone should back him and push him to get back to the levels he was last year.”
Manchester United produce another comeback to overcome more defensive mishaps
Bruno Fernandes produced a captain’s performance to save Manchester United’s blushes against rock-bottom Sheffield United, scoring twice and providing another in a 4-2 comeback win for Erik ten Hag’s misfiring side.
Three days on from making torturous work of their FA Cup semi-final triumph against Championship side Coventry, the Red Devils toiled against another side that will be playing in the second tier next term.
Under-fire Ten Hag’s side twice had to come from behind against Chris Wilder’s doomed Blades before Fernandes’ double inspired the end of the hosts’ four-match winless run in the Premier League to move them up to sixth.
Manchester United produce another comeback to overcome more defensive mishaps
Manchester United 4-2 Sheffield United: Bruno Fernandes’ double inspired the end of the hosts’ four-match winless run in the Premier League to move them up to sixth
Manchester United need to be better organised
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag spoke about the developments he would like to see in the remaining matches saying: “Out of possession, we have to be better organised, better disciplined and we have to play with a high intensity.
“And we have to keep doing the stuff in possession, because I think we make huge progress in this season in attacking transitions - we have scored so many goals. If you see the difference between first season and second season now, it’s immense, so we develop our attacking style of playing.
“Most important this season is the back four. We didn’t have a sustainable back four.
“There have been so many different partnerships, swapping the full-backs. It’s also that our attacking players have to contribute more; [be] more disciplined, more pressure on the ball and matching better the runs.”
Ten Hag provides Manchester United squad update:
“So, same squad, but Mason Mount, he will return into the squad.
“I think we are going to see those three [Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martinez] this season. All three returned to the pitch. Next week they have to step into team training but next week, they can step in for the last weeks.
“They progress well.”
Pre-weekend thoughts from Pep Guardiola
“I go to the game and I never ever know who is the referee,” he said. “When I see their face, it’s ‘oh, I remember that face’. I never in my life talk about the referees before, during or after - never ever, ever.
“A mistake can be a mistake and we are sad, and when it’s in our favour we are lucky. But I don’t waste my time. I have to economise, I have to choose with my time exactly what I have to do. I don’t spend one second (thinking) about referees, especially when we lose.
“Phil [Foden] has a sixth gear but he cannot play all the time in sixth gear - he has to play in second and third. I think, with time, he will learn that.
“Everything is so quick; football has to be sometimes slower (in order) to become quicker after to surprise the opponent. He will understand the game through years and years of experiences. But he loves to play and his work ethic is unbelievable.
“We are really pleased and happy for him and hopefully in the last month ahead of us he doesn’t stop. I would love for him to go in sixth gear every single action but after you are less precise - that is not effective.
“He has to know when he has to be aggressive and when he has to be more calm. He has improved a lot from the beginning of the season and the previous seasons.”
Jamie Carragher on the difference between Liverpool and Man City in the title race
“Manchester City are on a different level to Liverpool this season. I think Arsenal have just got the edge on Liverpool as well.
“In the last six to eight weeks, I think from Liverpool’s point of view [winning the title] has almost been a hope rather than a belief. I don’t feel, this season from August to now, that I’ve been watching a title-winning team, and in some ways, I think this team has actually overachieved because I don’t actually think they’re that good.
“I don’t mean that as a criticism, I think they’ve done brilliantly well, but because it’s Klopp’s last season it almost felt like ‘you’ve got to do this because this is the end’. If Klopp was staying for another two or three years, this would be seen as a great building block to build on.
“I’m gutted they lost tonight but I’m finding it hard to be too critical because I think they’ve actually overperformed this season. It’s not about what happened here [at Everton] or the Manchester United game, when it’s come to the crunch, they’ve just been a little bit short.”
Ange Postecoglou on Arsenal’s success under Mikel Arteta:
“It’s no coincidence that the teams that have been up there consistently over the past two or three years have been the teams that have had a clear plan on what they wanted to do and stuck by it. Arsenal are a great example of that.
“Mikel has done an outstanding job and I think it has been recognised by the club that he is the man to lead them forward and they have supported him ever since then.
“I think there is a blueprint there for every club but it is not as simple as saying that you should stick to the same process. Every club is unique in terms of how they rebuild, but it is a credit to Arsenal and Mikel more than anybody.
“They have been really disciplined about building a side that they think will bring sustained success and they have been challenging now for three years to do that.”
Posecoglou on north London derby
“I think every game is important and I take every game seriously. That’s the one thing I have been trying to impress upon this group of players - that is the nature of the Premier League, it is relentless.
“If you are not 100% focussed on each different challenge then you are going to come up short. I always feel as if the next game is the biggest game, but I understand the context around the north London derby and what it means to our supporters, for sure.”
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