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Attendance: 52,908
Liverpool logo
Premier League | Gameweek 17
Dec 16, 2018 at 4pm UK
 
Manchester United logo

3-1

Mane (24'), Shaqiri (73', 80')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Lingard (33')

Klopp: We are not focused on Manchester City, only on Liverpool

Klopp: We are not focused on Manchester City, only on Liverpool
© Reuters
Jose Mourinho feels Manchester United will be stronger in the second half of the season.

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool are ignoring what title rivals Manchester City are doing – while his under-pressure Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho still believes in a top-four finish.

The Reds returned to the top of the table, one point ahead of City, with a 3-1 win over United, who are already 19 points off the pace and 11 behind the top four.

There was no doubting whose ambition was greater at Anfield, where the hosts had 33 shots to their opponents' five, in a game where Mourinho sent on Marouane Fellaini at half-time with the score at 1-1 and Klopp responded by introducing Xherdan Shaqiri with 20 minutes to go

The Switzerland international proved to be the match-winner with his two goals.

Liverpool v Manchester United – Premier League – Anfield
Xherdan Shaqiri was Liverpool's match-winner on Sunday (Peter Byrne/PA)

It was an important response after City briefly went back to the top of the table but Klopp stressed he has no interest in Pep Guardiola's side, who they lead by one point with a chance to extend that in Friday night's match at Wolves.

"We ignored it completely. I didn't mention it one time," Klopp said of City's 3-1 Saturday lunchtime win over Everton.

"We know the table, just are you focused on it or not. We played against Man United and not Man United and City.

"When we eat and train together we are not saying, 'Did you see what City did?'.

"We are focused on what we need to do and will there come a moment in the season where we are still around them and we start hoping they drop points or whatever.

"But at the moment we respect them a lot and they respect us. We meet them on January 3 and then we will think about them."

Mourinho's hopes of making the top four already look remote as they are so far off the pace of even Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League place.

Liverpool v Manchester United – Premier League – Anfield
Jose Mourinho watched Manchester United lose at Anfield (Peter Byrne/PA)

But asked if he was confident of making up that margin, Mourinho said: "Yes, I think (we can).

"What gives me that belief? It gives me the belief that we are going to make much more points in the second part of the season than we did in the first part.

"I know that we lost some other matches, but we played away at Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City away – probably the three best teams apart from Tottenham.

"But we play with them away. I think we have more possibility to do more points in the second part of the season than the first part."

To make up that ground his side will have to show more ambition than they did at Anfield, where they were lucky to be level at half-time after Sadio Mane's brilliant opener was cancelled out after a howler by goalkeeper Alisson Becker saw Jesse Lingard score from close range.

However, a bold approach paid off the for the hosts, with Shaqiri making a massive impact coming off the bench.

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Roberto Firmino embraces Xherdan Shaqiri in celebration during the Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester United on December 16, 2018
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Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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