Liverpool vs Man United has always been – and will likely always be – one of the biggest games in club football, with the two English giants gearing up for a crucial showdown this weekend. Jurgen Klopp added fuel to the fire behind this game by highlighting the number of penalties the Red Devils have been awarded over the past few years, a highly controversial topic among Premier League supporters, but this remark has not gone unnoticed at Old Trafford.
Man United star Bruno Fernandes, undoubtedly the most crucial player behind the club's title push this season, has taken exception to those remarks, hitting back at the German boss ahead of the Anfield trip. The Portuguese midfielder, who has been a revelation since day one at the Theatre of Dreams, hinted that this was a mere plot by Jurgen to preemptively influence the referee of Sunday's game, adding that he has grown accustomed to this tactic from his days at Sporting CP.
It is no secret that Solskjaer's side have been awarded more spot kicks than any other side since the Norwegian tactician was appointed manager. In the two years Ole has been in charge, Man United have won a whopping 42 penalties, dwarfing Liverpool's tally of 19 over that same period. In fact, the Red Devils are just four short of matching the number of penalties the Merseyside giants have been awarded throughout Klopp's entire five years at the helm.
Jurgen was not the only manager to point this out. Mourinho and Lampard at Tottenham and Chelsea, respectively, echoed similar sentiments but it was the words of the German gaffer that echoed loudest due to their upcoming showdown with the Manchester giants.
Bruno, who is United's designated spot taker, scoring all but one of the 15 he's taken in England, admitted that he gives no importance to Klopp's statement.
"People can talk and say what they want," Fernandes said (as per the Guardian). "But, for me and the team, the main point is continuing to do the right things and when we get a penalty, scoring. I don't hear, I don't care, honestly. You always see what people say but I really don't care. I'm not focused on what they are saying.
"I played in Portugal and when you play for Sporting, Benfica and Porto are always talking about that kind of stuff – sometimes to put pressure on the referee, sometimes just to make some noise in the press. But, for me, the main point is when we have a penalty, if I go to take the ball to the penalty spot, I have to do my job.
"One thing I saw in the news the other day was that Raheem Sterling has missed his last three penalties [for Manchester City]. So, yes, it shows it's not as easy to take a penalty as people say. You have to work on that, you have to be focused, you have to do your job. It's clear like that. It doesn't mean Raheem Sterling is not a good penalty taker because he missed three in a row. It can happen.
"It could maybe happen to me but the important thing is to score and not to listen to what people say because penalties are part of the game, for everyone."
Man United currently sit top of the table with 36 points, three more than the defending champions as they have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games. Victory would see the visitors move six points clear of Salah and Co. but that will be no easy feat as the Merseyside giants have not been beaten at Anfield since April 2017.
