Harvey Elliott still believes Liverpool can end Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign with the Premier League crown despite ceding control of the title race by slipping up at rivals Manchester United.
The Reds had control of a mammoth three-way title tussle after Manchester City and Arsenal fought out a forgettable goalless draw last weekend, but the dynamics changed at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Liverpool salvaged a 2-2 draw through Mohamed Salah’s spot-kick having failed to capitalise on their early dominance, with Luis Diaz’s effort all they had to show before Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo stunners.
“Jurgen’s cracking up” echoed around Old Trafford after a result that put Arsenal in the driving seat with seven matches remaining.
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Liverpool are level with them on 71 points but have a substantially worse goal difference, yet Elliott remains confident that they can end Klopp’s reign with his second Premier League title.
“We can’t be thinking about other teams and watching what they are doing and basing our games off them,” he said.
“We need to keep being selfish and keep getting three points on the board.
“We are in the best possible position to do it, we’ve got unbelievable fans behind us that will be backing us in each and every game until the end of the season. We have the team to do it, so who says we can’t?
“We just need to keep going and keep taking it game by game, making sure we are recovered both physically and mentally and keep going.
“It will be a tough finish but we just need to keep going.”
Elliott impressed off the bench at Old Trafford, where he won the penalty that allowed Salah to salvage a point in the 84th minute.
“It should have been all three,” the substitute told Liverpool’s website. “But I think at the same time we need to look at the game, and we were trailing.
“I think the boys showed unbelievable fight and courage to come back, to stay level-headed, stay in the game and get the equaliser.
“A point is better than nothing. We wanted the three points – there’s no doubt about that – but a point is better than losing.”
It was another pulsating meeting between the rivals, just three weeks on from United winning an FA Cup classic 4-3 at the end of extra-time.
Liverpool failed to take their chances that day, just as they did on Sunday having registered 28 shots.
On not being clinical enough at key stages of the game, Elliott said: “Absolutely. We had many opportunities.
“Whether it was the final pass or the finish, it just wasn’t there for us today but unfortunately that’s football. But the fight and desire to keep going until the final whistle was amazing.
“I think as a team, as a club with the fans as well backing us, in a stadium like this when it’s not easy at all, it’s a credit to everyone involved.
“We need to keep fighting because it’s going to be a very tough run now and we need to keep going.”
Postecoglou: Spurs have a confidence problem to overcome
Ange Postecoglou says that Tottenham need to "overcome" their low confidence after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Spurs slipped to their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, being left to bemoan their slow start as they found themselves 4-0 down by the hour mark thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott.
Richarlison came off the bench to salvage some pride for Spurs, scoring one before setting up Son Heung-min for a goal on his 300th Premier League appearance.
Spurs had the opportunity to cut the gap to the top four after Aston Villa’s defeat to Brighton, but they remain seven points off a Champions League spot.
Postecoglou’s side still have a game in hand over the Villans, though he was sure that Spurs would be able to put their recent poor run behind them.
Asked if Spurs had a confidence problem, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "Maybe in the front third there is.
"It probably is a bit of a lack of confidence, but again, that's something the guys have to work through.
"You have to find a way to overcome that because, ultimately, if you don't put pressure on the opposition in the front third after you've worked your way up there, they're going to get comfortable with their position."
Spurs have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games, failing to win any of the last five.
Despite that run extending at Anfield, Postecoglou highlighted what he thought was an improvement on their recent performances.
He continued: "Obviously a hugely disappointing outcome for us but at least we were more like ourselves today in terms of our football.
"Our last two away games at Newcastle and Chelsea, apart from the results which weren't great either, we just didn't try and play our football.
"I thought today, even in the first half, some of our football, our pressing was back to where it should be."
Roma 1-1 Juventus: Juve miss chance to close gap to second after draw with Roma
Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw at Roma on Sunday, missing the chance to close in on Milan in second place in Serie A.
Roma took the lead after 15 minutes when Romelu Lukaku found himself in the perfect position to tap in the rebound from a Bryan Cristante shot.
Bremer levelled with a header for Juventus just after the half-hour mark when Federico Chiesa picked him out inside the box from a corner.
Both sides had chances to find a winner in the final minutes, with Roma keeper Mile Svilar making a fingertip save to push Manuel Locatelli's volley over the bar.
Third-placed Juventus have 66 points, five fewer than Milan, who drew 3-3 with Genoa earlier on Sunday. Roma are fifth with 60 points.
Data Debrief: Leading from the back
Since scoring his first Serie A goal in the 2019-20 season, Bremer is the defender with the most headed goals in the Big-5 European leagues, netting 13 in total. Each of his last seven goals have been headers.
His goal was enough to earn Juventus a point today, but it means that they have drawn each of their last four in the competition - a first since February-March 2012 under Antonio Conte.
Chelsea 8-0 Bristol City: Blues rout hands Hayes perfect home send off
Guro Reiten starred as Chelsea thrashed already-relegated Bristol City 8-0 to keep their title hopes alive in the Women's Super League on Sunday.
The Norwegian scored four goals, netting the opener from the penalty spot to get Emma Hayes' last home game in charge off to the best start.
She scored the other three in the second half in just over 20 minutes, while teeing up Agnes Beever-Jones for the seventh goal with just two minutes left.
Beever-Jones got two, with Sjoeke Nusken and Niamh Charles also adding to the scoreline to eradicate the goal-difference advantage that Manchester City, who lost to Arsenal earlier on Sunday, had over them.
Chelsea move to within three points of the Citizens, with a game in hand over them, remaining in the fight to lift their fifth-consecutive league title.
Data Debrief:
Chelsea have scored eight goals in a game for the first time since December 2022 against Leicester City, a match they also won 8-0.
The Blues have scored in their last six games in the WSL, though it does not come close to their longest run of games with a goal in the competition - a run of 20 from April 2023 to February 2024.
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