Brendan Rodgers demands Liverpool use Man Utd loss as 'springboard' to beat Arsenal

BRENDAN RODGERS says Liverpool must use their defeat to Manchester United as a "springboard" to qualify for the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers applauds Steven Gerrard apology for his red card

Rodgers' men went down 2-1 thanks to two Juan Mata strikes as United extended their cushion on fourth place to five points.

It leaves Liverpool with a mountain to climb with only eight games remaining as they strive to return to the Champions League.

They face Arsenal on the Saturday after the international break and also travel to Chelsea in May during the Premier League run-in.

Brendan Rodgers at AnfieldGETTY

Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool lost 2-1 to Manchester United at Anfield yesterday

And Rodgers insists his men can react to the United defeat just as they did when losing at Old Trafford in December, when they went on an 18-game unbeaten streak.

"That last performance at Old Trafford was a great springboard for us. We went on and, up until this point [against United], we hadn't lost a league game," he told liverpoolfc.com.

"So now we must use this similarly. We must use this in the same way; refocus, get over the disappointment and then come back into a tough game next against Arsenal and really look to get the points there.

"We had a 10-game objective that we set. Built into that was that we were not going to win every single game.

"It's still very much [possible] for us to go where we want to go, which is the top four. We just need to fight that bit harder and make up a five-point difference."

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