"It doesn’t matter" - Manchester United manager Erik ten hag makes bold claims about Liverpool

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag recently heaped praise on Liverpool and admitted that beating them gives his team the belief to perform well in other games.

The Red Devils have had a mixed campaign in the Premier League so far, as they sit fifth in the table with 26 points from 14 games.

Ten Hag's tenure got off to a poor start after they were beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in their opening two games.

However, the side picked themselves up thereafter with four wins in a row, following which it's been an erratic run once again.

The highs of beating Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were met with the lows of defeats to Manchester City and Aston Villa. They also dropped points against Newcastle United.

Even though Liverpool find themselves in a worse position than Manchester United, Ten Hag only had good things to say about their traditional rivals.

He said (via HITC):

“Especially in the mentality, the belief that we can compete with big opponents. That we can beat them. That gives a certain belief in the group, that we can compete with certain opponents."

He added:

"It doesn’t matter which it is, because Liverpool is a really good team, a world-class team. So when you beat them, you can take that belief into other games."

Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United in August, their first loss in the Premier League, having started their campaign with back-to-back draws.

A historic 9-0 win over Bournemouth on matchday four made it seem like the Reds had finally clicked into gear. However, it was merely a false dawn, with Jurgen Klopp's team reeling from inconsistent results.

With just six wins and 22 points in the bag from 14 games, the Anfield outfit are sixth in the league table and languish 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.

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Manchester United and Liverpool set to resume their campaign in two weeks

Manchester United will resume their Premier League campaign on December 27 against Nottingham Forest at home. Before that though, the Red Devils will host Burnley in the EFL Cup Round of 16 on December 21.

Liverpool, meanwhile, will return to action on Boxing Day (December 26) against Aston Villa at Villa Park. They will face Manchester City in the EFL Cup on December 22.

Both teams have had a much-needed break due to the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup. They will be looking to produce a stronger run in the second half of their campaign.

They will be making the most of this time by engaging in a few club friendlies. Manchester United will play Cadiz and Real Betis in Spain on December 7 and 10 respectively.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will take on Lyon and AC Milan in the Dubai Cup on December 11 and 16 respectively.