Man United 3 Liverpool 2
What a rollercoaster of a match. Like against Brentford on Monday United started the much stronger team and took the lead early on as a United corner was cleared only as far as Matheus Cunha who’s initial effort was blocked but his second took a deflection off Mac Allister which took the ball past Woodman and put United 1-0 up in the 6th minute, United continued to look deadly on the counter and doubled their advantage soon after as Cunha floated the ball to the back-post to Fernandes who’s header back across was flapped at by Woodman with the ball hitting Sesko’s chest into the net giving United a 2-0 lead in the 14th minute. The first half continued with Liverpool dominating possession but creating very little as United looked like scoring with every attack but the first half ended with United 2-0 up, Carrick was forced into a change at half-time as Sesko came off for Amad who was at the centre of Liverpool’s first goal giving the ball straight to Szoboszlai who drove forward into the United box and slotted past Lammens to get Liverpool back in the game just two minutes into the second half. United looked on edge after that goal and gave Liverpool another goal ten minutes later as Lammens gave the ball straight to Mac Allister who played the ball to Szoboszlai who laid it on a plate for Gakpo who scored to make it 2-2 in the 56th minute, Liverpool looked the more likely to score the winner but United managed to score next as Shaw crossed the ball back-post to Amad who nodded it back across as Mac Allister scuffed the clearance to Mainoo who finished brilliantly on the edge of the box to put United 3-2 up in the 77th minute. United saw the game out to get their first league double over Liverpool since 2016, what a way to secure Champions League football.
We never do it the easy way. I thought United were excellent in the first half letting Liverpool have the ball and countering at every opportunity looking so dangerous creating a chance every few minutes and were deservedly 2-0 up in the first half, the only negative with the first half is that they weren’t more in front with the chances they created as Fernandes missed a great chance to make it 3-0 but they looked really comfortable as Liverpool created nothing in the first half going forward. Sesko coming off at the start of the second half changed everything as he was holding the ball up brilliantly and scored the second goal, I would have put Zirkzee on in the second half to continue that hold-up play but Carrick opted to put Mbeumo down the middle and sub Amad on which cost United the first goal in the second half as the Ivorian gave the ball away in such a stupid position allowing Szoboszlai to run straight at the defence at score. The second goal is actually more horrifying from a United perspective as Lammens makes his first mistake that leads to a goal giving the ball straight to Mac Allister with Gakpo tapping in to make it 2-2, I was thinking the worst after that as Liverpool looked like scoring again but step up the man who just signed a new deal Kobbie Mainoo who’s finish was fantastic and continues his brilliant spell under Carrick as he looks to make the World Cup squad in the summer. On the whole I’m buzzing with the win over our biggest rivals but why can we never just do it the easy way, I feel like I age years watching us see out a 1-goal lead every match.
What could have been for Liverpool in that second half? Liverpool were terrible in the first half creating little to nothing other than shots from range which went wide as they looked wide open at the back allowing two unnecessary goals but I suppose that sums up Liverpool’s season on the whole, they were given two gifts from United to get back into the game which had me thinking they were gonna break the half-time record at one point when United haven’t lost at Old Trafford in the Premier League when leading at half-time since 1984 but Liverpool just didn’t have the firepower to punish United when they looked so open at times in the second half. Yet again some of the players were so poor like Floarian Wirtz who just looks so meek in that Liverpool midfield along with Frimpong on the right who was yet again rubbish today, Dominic Szoboszlai was yet again the only Liverpool player that actually stood up and took the game to United in the second half taking his goal brilliantly and laying the ball off for Gakpo for the second goal. The lack of attackers probably cost Liverpool any chance of getting a result today but they still look good for Champions League football next season.
What a turnaround its been for Kobbie Mainoo since January. The winner today couldn’t have come at a better time with Mainoo signing a new deal during the week when it looked like he’d be leaving in January after not starting a game all season under Ruben Amorim, in the second half it was reminiscent of United under Ten Haag where Mainoo was often left by himself in the midfield with Casemiro going forward at every opportunity but the Englishman stayed calm and was able to manage the midfield just about up until the goal. At 21 Mainoo seems to already have that clutch gene scoring goals at crucial moments like today, you think of the winner at Wolves a few years ago, the winner in the FA cup final, the equaliser against Lyon in the Europa League and now another goal against Liverpool to put United in front. I’ve said it loads of times already but the fact that he was going to leave in January because of the lack of game time will always infuriate me with some United fans siding with Amorim but I’m so glad that Amorim is gone and Mainoo hasn’t looked back since, I’d be majorly surprised if he isn’t at very least in the World Cup for England in the summer.
Champions League football now mathematically confirmed for Man United. It’s been basically confirmed for some time but it’s all the sweeter doing it against Liverpool at Old Trafford to confirm Champions League for next season, for Liverpool they still need 4 points to secure Champions League football which I’m sure they’ll manage in their next three games against Chelsea(H), Aston Villa(A) and Brentford(H). They’ll only need 4 points if Bournemouth win all their games which isn’t that likely considering they have Fulham(A), Man City(H) and Nottingham Forest(A) in their last three games, saying that Liverpool will want to finish the season strongly and try to finish as high as possible in what’s been a disappointing season for Arne Slot and Liverpool.