Fernandes and Amorim upset with United after strong draw at Liverpool

Photo: Instagram/@brunofernandes8

Bruno Fernandes, visibly frustrated, expressed his thoughts after Manchester United earned a 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday. He emphasized that if the team can perform at Anfield, they must replicate that intensity in every game.

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The game started with a surprise goal from Lisandro Martinez, putting United ahead. But Cody Gakpo quickly equalized for Liverpool, and then Mohamed Salah put them in front with a penalty. However, late in the game, Amad Diallo scored for United, securing a draw.

Despite their equalizer, United finished the match feeling they could have won. Defender Harry Maguire missed a chance to secure all three points when he shot over the bar from a pass by Joshua Zirkzee.

The draw kept Liverpool six points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand. Meanwhile, United remains in 13th place but ended a four-match losing streak with the result.

Fernandes, United’s captain, spoke to Sky Sports after the game and shared his frustration. He said that while they had been criticized for their poor performances, they couldn’t be satisfied with just one point. "Our position in the table speaks for itself," he remarked. "We've dropped too many points, and even today, settling for one point isn't enough. We needed a win and had a chance to secure it at the end, but a draw feels like the right outcome. Both teams played well."

Fernandes was clearly upset with his team’s inconsistency. He explained that if they could play like this against Liverpool, who are top of the league, they should be able to perform at that level against all opponents. "It frustrates me. We showed this level of play today, so why can’t we do it everywhere?" he asked. Fernandes also felt that he had finally played well himself, adding, "We need much more from ourselves to get more from this season."

Looking ahead to next week’s FA Cup match against Arsenal, Fernandes acknowledged that it would be tough, but United were determined to reach the final again."We understand how challenging it is to face Liverpool, but today we displayed determination and passion, and that's what earned us something from this game. This can’t be the end. We must carry this frustration into the next match and set this as our standard of performance."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also shared his thoughts on the draw, acknowledging it could have been worse had Maguire taken his late opportunity. "I'm disappointed to drop points at home, but we must move forward. We managed to get ahead 2-1, but we lost possession too easily and left ourselves too exposed. We’re not perfect, and there's valuable lessons to learn from this," van Dijk explained.

Van Dijk also denied that Liverpool had underestimated United, despite their struggles this season. "That’s all media talk," he said. "We prepared for a tough game and were ready for it."

Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, who has had a difficult start at Old Trafford, also shared his thoughts on the match. United has suffered six defeats in September and four straight losses before this draw."We're going through a challenging time," Amorim told Sky Sports. "If we face Liverpool every day, we'll bounce back, but we need to bring this level of performance against every team. We've proven we can be competitive, and that's the standard we must maintain moving forward."

Amorim was pleased with the effort his players put in but frustrated by the poor results in earlier matches. "I’m happy with the performance, not the results," he said. "We have to improve, but the way we played today shows the effort and desire we need to bring to every game. I’m trying to make the players understand that they must work hard and fight for every ball. We need to build on this effort."

Amorim also emphasized that it’s important not to get complacent. "I’m proud of the players' effort today, but I’m still upset about the results in previous games. We must not relax and let the performances drop again," he added.

While the result at Anfield was a step forward for United, their manager and captain both made it clear that this level of performance must be the standard for all their matches, not just when facing the league leaders.