Liverpool stars Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk both made “we are human” admissions after their slip-up in the Premier League title race against Tottenham.
Jurgen Klopp’s side leapfrogged Manchester City into top spot on goal difference after a 1-1 draw with Spurs at Anfield on Saturday.
City do, however, still have a game in hand and are now hot favourites to go on and retain the trophy, with the Reds left reflecting on a missed opportunity to put pressure on their rivals.
Son Heung-min gave Spurs a 56th-minute lead before Luis Diaz’ deflected effort levelled the scoreline 16 minutes from time, with the hosts ultimately unable to find a winner thereafter.
Fabinho was frustrated after the final whistle as he conceded that the title may now have slipped out of Liverpool’s grasp, but he also vowed that they will “keep fighting” until the end.
“Tottenham played a really good game,” the Brazilian told the club’s official website. “They are one of the best teams playing counter-attacking. We defended quite well, they didn’t create much but with the quality that they have they scored one goal.
“It was good for us to score Luis’ goal and put pressure on them but it’s 1-1 – one point. We take it. We keep fighting.
“We know we are fighting against one of the best teams in the world. We know if we lose points in the fight against Man City, maybe it can cost the title.
“But we are human beings [and] they are human beings as well. We will hope they will lose points, and as I said before, we will keep fighting.”
Van Dijk echoed Fabinho’s sentiments as Liverpool dropped points at Anfield for the first time since October, telling reporters: “Obviously we knew their game plan, we knew their quality, especially on the break. But I think on the ball we were just not good enough.
“It is frustrating to drop points, but we have to recover and play the remaining games. Give them credit they created good chances as well. We were looking for the equaliser and got it. We were looking for the winner but unfortunately we couldn’t get it today.
“We are all human beings so there is a reason why we feel this way when we drop points.”
Ballon d’Or: Mbappe more complete than Haaland – Pique
Kylian Mbappe is a “more complete” player than Erling Haaland, according to Barcelona star Gerard Pique, who has described both men as potential Ballon d’Or winners.
Mbappe has already won multiple titles at both club and international level at the age of 23, including four Ligue 1 titles and the World Cup, having begun his career at Monaco before completing a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Kylian Mbappe is a “more complete” player than Erling Haaland, according to Barcelona star Gerard Pique, who has described both men as potential Ballon d’Or winners.
Haaland, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most prolific strikers in Europe since joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, and both men are being touted for transfers at the end of the current campaign.
Real Madrid has been named as the most likely next destination for Mbappe if he leaves PSG this summer, with the French giants yet to tie him down to a contract extension.
Haaland has also been linked with Madrid, but Manchester City are reportedly leading the race for his signature, and Pique has assessed the future potential of both men.
The Barca defender can see the duo winning a Golden Ball respectively at some stage, but he feels Mbappe is a more well-rounded player due to his ability to play in a number of different positions.
“They are two of the best players right now,” Pique said on the Sky Sports YouTube channel The Overlap. They are very young and they both have the potential for the Ballon d’Or for sure.
“I think Haaland is more a pure striker, very strong and scores a lot of goals. Mbappe is a more complete player – can play as a winger or striker. I didn’t have the opportunity to play against Haaland, I played against Mbappe. It’s difficult to choose.”
