Wayne Rooney has backed Liverpool to win the Premier League despite their frustrating 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated at Old Trafford for large periods but were made to pay for their wastefulness in a pulsating affair at Old Trafford.
Luis Diaz gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half but an error from Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah gave Bruno Fernandes the chance to lift a brilliant long-range effort over the stranded Caoimhin Kelleher from inside the centre circle.
United grew in confidence after equalising and went ahead when England’s Kobbie Mainoo curled a brilliant strike into the far corner for his first home goal.
Liverpool salvaged a deserved point through Mohamed Salah, who scored a late penalty after Harvey Elliott was tripped by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but it was still a frustrating outcome for the Reds who were hoping to go two points ahead of Arsenal and three above defending champions Manchester City.
Instead they are now second – level on points with Arsenal but with an inferior goal difference – while Man City are poised in third after Saturday’s 4-2 victory at Crystal Palace.
It could hardly be tighter at the top of the Premier League with seven games to go but Rooney believes Liverpool will edge out Arsenal and Manchester City to win the title in Klopp’s final season at Anfield.
‘There’s still such a long time to go,’ he said on Premier League Productions. ‘I know it’s only seven games but a lot will happen between now and the end of the season. I still think Liverpool will nick it.’
While Liverpool are hoping to send Klopp off in style, Manchester City are chasing a record fourth successive Premier League title under Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal, meanwhile, want to end a 20-year wait for a league title having led the Premier League for much of last season.
Manchester United sit five places and 21 points below arch-rivals Liverpool but Klopp dismissed the suggestion that his side dropped two points at Old Trafford.
‘We should have won the game, that is clear,’ Klopp said. ‘We should have had other goals in the first half already. No shots in the first half and 1-0 is the lowest we could expect.
‘As far as I’m concerned, we have one point more than we did before. They put an extra shift in, that is how it is. We will face that again against Everton. A fully deserved equaliser.
‘I’m not angry at all with the boys but, in the game, I’m not just going to let things happen. We dropped too deep. There were plenty of situations where we could have defended the ball. You need to be proactive.
‘We are in the race and I am absolutely fine with it.’
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, said the 2-2 draw ‘felt like a defeat’ and suggested the Reds abandoned their game-plan after Fernandes’ shock equaliser.
Before hosting Liverpool, Manchester United suffered a demoralising 4-3 defeat to Chelsea and were outplayed by Brentford in a 1-1 draw in west London last weekend.
‘It feels like a loss. It is our fault again,’ Van Dijk said. ‘We had so many chances and we should finish the game off.
‘Unfortunately, the individual mistake that happened with the equaliser, we had so much time to put it right but we were in a rush. Still, after being 2-1 down, we created so much.’
Liverpool put their Premier League aspirations on hold this week as they prepare for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta. United return to action next weekend against Bournemouth.
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