Liverpool v Man United not make-or-break, insists Mourinho

Jose Mourinho insisted Manchester United’s trip to Liverpool is not make-or-break as the manager played down the consequences of Saturday’s Premier League blockbuster.

United’s unbeaten start to the season will be tested when Mourinho takes his side – second in the table but level on points with neighbours Manchester City – to Anfield.

The Red Devils have scored 21 goals and conceded just twice in seven matches to emerge as a contender to win their first Premier League title since 2012-13.

But Mourinho said United’s season does not hinge on the result on Merseyside, where Jurgen Klopp’s seventh-placed Liverpool are looking to climb the standings.

“The season is made of moments of ups and downs and you cannot win every match and you have to be strong enough mentally for both sides,” Mourinho said.

“If you win, you cannot leave and feel like you won the Premier League because you didn’t. If you lose, you cannot leave and feel like you are going to be relegated.

“We go to play the game, we want to win the game, we know that is going to be very difficult and sometimes in very difficult matches you get a point and you don’t complain.

“It depends on the direction of the match. I drew matches where I was happy and I drew matches where I was not happy.”

“If a big game is only when you play Manchester City, or Liverpool, or Chelsea, then you have six big games a season,” Mourinho added.

“The mentality I want with my players is that every match is a big match.

“When you are a big club you want to win titles, you want to win a competition like the Premier League and every match is the same, every point is the same, unless you go into a stage in the season where two or three clubs are fighting for a certain objective.

“Then you can consider, depending on your advantage or disadvantage, you can consider that that result is a result. Every match is important; every point is important.”