Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho insists luck was with Liverpool for Sunday's 3-1 defeat.

Sadio Mane had put the hosts ahead on 24 minutes, but a mistake from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker allowed Jesse Lingard to equalise soon after. However, further strikes followed for Jurgen Klopp's men after the break, with substitute Xherdan Shaqiri netting two deflected efforts to seal the hosts' 3-1 victory.

Mourinho said, “They had a strong team and showed they are the strongest team. It's hard to concede two goals in the moments we conceded and even harder the way the goals happened [with the deflections]. I think our difficult period in the game was the first 20 minutes when we couldn't cope with their fantastic intensity and speed and pressing. After that we were quite calm in the game and the game was controlled.

"We can say of course they attacked much more than us, they had corners, they had more play in our half than we had in their half, but it was exactly the moment when the game was going into the dynamic when they were really frustrated.

"You had centre-backs coming with the ball and shooting from 30 yards into the stands – that was a period when the game was more under control and we felt that we could win, even a little bit undeservedly, but it was the moment when sometimes teams that are dominating a game can lose matches. But that was when we conceded two goals. David [De Gea] was saying in the dressing room afterwards that they [Shaqiri's shots] would have been two easy balls for him, but because of the deflections he had no chance."

Mourinho insisted luck was with the hosts, “If you want to speak about fortune, then speak about their second and third goals. Our goal was a good move by the side, I think [Romelu] Lukaku got in the space behind the full-back with a good cross and then Jesse [Lingard] arrived in a dangerous position and the goalkeeper made, what I used to call, half of a mistake. To speak about luck and goals we have to speak about the second and third goals."