Four games without a win for the first time since 2017. Three games without scoring for the first time since 2005.
The dominance of last season is becoming a distant memory for the defending
“There is nothing fundamentally different, it is just the result is different," Klopp said. "We have not to worry about it, but we obviously have to ignore the fact and hope it will be good again.
“We did that, but the only possibility we have is to create situations and be ready to fail and do it again. That is a massive difference to when you are flying, because then you deal with the missed chances better."
Targets are being revised, it seems, with a top-four finish the priority.
“We spoke about the fight for the
This is a team — albeit depleted by injuries — that won the title by 18 points in July to end
“I know that football fans in general are not the most patient species on the planet — they want to win each football game," Klopp said. “I am not very different to that, but I’m long enough in the business to know that you have to go through more difficult periods as well. And it’s not the most difficult in my life — not even close to it.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has endured many difficulties but has now been in charge of United more than two years and leading the club's first credible title challenge since
Only
“We were a bit disappointed in the performance, not just the result," Solskjaer said. “We didn’t do well enough to cause them problems in the first half, but we defended well and they didn’t create too many chances.
“We know we have players who can win you a game in the blink of a second and Bruno and Paul almost did."
CITY ROUT
There was no shortage of goals for United's crosstown rival, although they can from a rare source:
It's taken until halfway through his fifth season at the club to finally score in the league — and he did so twice after finally breaking his duck.
There was nothing unfamiliar about the provider of the defender's first in the 26th minute.
After Ilkay Gündogan netted 11 minutes into the second half, Stones was on target again in the 68th after
There was a stylish conclusion to the rout with
GOAL OF SEASON CONTENDER
Mourinho has previously criticized the contribution of Ndombele, who became the club's record signing in 2019 when he joined for
“I coach for so many years, had so many players and I have enough experience to say and to feel that when a player is not playing very well, it’s his responsibility," Mourinho said, "and when a player turns things around and brings his performance level to a very high level, it’s also his responsibility.
“It’s a great example that with me the door is always open. The door of the team is always open, and when a player is not playing he has to try to understand why and he has to try to understand how can he walk through that door. He understood."
The second-half goal came just when
“The goal is amazing, but I don’t care about the goal,” Mourinho said. "I care about the performance and the performance was magnificent and I’m really pleased that he’s come to this level."
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