Ahead of the North-West rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool, Chris Smalling is confident that his team mates can put the midweek frustration behind them and head to Anfield with a fresh hope of bouncing back to winning ways.
Midweek disappointment
In a thrilling match against Newcastle, Louis van Gaal's side gave away the lead twice at 2-0 and 3-2, only to concede a last minute equalizer to cause a serious disappointment to his men. The result put Manchester United back in sixth position in the Barclays Premier League.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Smalling expressed his deep disappointment of the match result. He admitted that it felt like United had "lost the game" in the "changing room after the match." He continued saying they were in a "good position" but knows they should "have finished it a little bit earlier." He praised teammates for getting to 3-2 but concluded that United "need to hold on and be a bit stronger" in future
Smalling is confident ahead of Anfield trip
Despite the frustration, the former Fulham defender feels confident of a positive result at Anfield on Sunday.
When speaking with MUTV, the England international had only took the positives of recent clashes with the Merseyside club. "In recent times, we've done very well against them" he started off saying and refered back to "this year at Old Trafford and last" where United got "very good results." The defender said himself and teammates are "very confident of going there and causing them a problem."
A man on top form
Chris Smalling has been in top form so far this season, being the leader of Manchester United's back-four.
In 20 league matches, he won 29 tackles, made 46 interceptions, 10 blocks and 108 clearances. Most importantly, he was not involved in any defensive errors or errors leading to a goal.