Unpredictable Man Utd deal Liverpool huge blow in Premier League title race
Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool (Fernandes 50′, Mainoo 67′ | Diaz 23′, Salah 84′ pen)
OLD TRAFFORD — 62 shots across two league games against a Manchester United side at their lowest ebb should have resulted in two of the most comprehensive victories a title chaser could dream of for Liverpool this season.
To have two points to show for their travails at Anfield and Old Trafford was not in the Jurgen Klopp farewell tour setlist. In numerous foul-mouthed touchline rants as United denied Liverpool what could be a crucial win in their title tilt, Klopp’s frustration spoke volumes.
Schadenfreude may be all United supporters can take from this season as Erik ten Hag struggles to get his side into the top five, but even that should not really be an option for them, as Liverpool only had themselves to blame for not landing a knockout blow against an opponent, for the majority of Sunday’s bout, not even in the same weight division.
New United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe must be a glutton for punishment as he again left his tranquil Monaco abode vacant in favour of watching his new plaything, three days after attending United’s loss at Chelsea despite leading on 99:17 mins – the latest a team has ever led in a Premier League match and suffered defeat.
Things had taken a drastic turn, however, as the Manchester-born billionaire donned a green suit like the Riddler in order to solve his greatest puzzle of all – awakening this sleeping giant from its slumber.
21 days after Amad Diallo’s winner in Ten Hag’s greatest United victory, the early signs were that the hosts would again be able to go toe-to-toe with Klopp’s red machine and hope for another dramatic success in their coin-toss style of play the Dutchman relies all too readily on.
Alejandro Garnacho had the ball in the Liverpool net inside two minutes, only for the linesman’s flag to quieten the Manchester masses, with Dominik Szoboszlai denied by a superb save from Andre Onana straight down the other end.
There was no way both could keep such a tempo going. One team, however, did and should have been out of sight by half time.
The stats made for uneasy reading. Garnacho’s disallowed strike was the hosts only real attack of the opening period, finishing the first half having failed to register a shot on or off target for the first time in nine years.
Things were a lot more positive in the opposite corner with United firmly on the ropes. Liverpool rained in 16 shots on Onana’s goal in the first half, with plenty of other last-ditch blocks denying the visitors further goalscoring opportunities.
After Diaz had scuffed home Darwin Nunez’s knockdown in the 23rd minute, Klopp’s side wasted chance after chance to compound United’s woes, infuriating their manager on the touchline.
Following one particular golden opportunity spurned by Mohamed Salah, Klopp completely lost his rag, aware just how United, for all their endless flaws, still possess the individual quality to put out their latest bin fire in the blink of an eye.
All it took was one errant pass from Jarell Quansah, taking Caoimhin Kelleher out of the game, and the shooting prowess of Bruno Fernandes, from only just inside Liverpool’s half, to unfathomably restore parity.
Of course, with the crowd up, this most unpredictable beast had another goal in them, a stunner eerily reminiscent of one of the most famous strikes in these parts, with Kobbie Mainoo channelling his inner Federico Macheda to swivel and curl a sublime effort in the net to lift the roof off the Stretford End.
Player of the match: Kobbie Mainoo
- Another sensational goal. Carried Casemiro for much of the contest but retained composure in crucial moments.
The euphoria had returned from three weeks previous. Perhaps the 4-3 cup exultation was a false dawn and this, a third successive home win over Liverpool, one that could deny their great rivals the title and the happiest of endings for Klopp on Merseyside, would be the one to thrust the Ineos revolution into gear.
One disastrous lunge from Aaron Wan-Bissaka later and Salah was presented with the perfect opportunity to burst the United daydream bubble from the penalty spot, sending Onana the wrong way with six minutes of normal time left.
Of course Liverpool should have won it, Diaz somehow firing over from point-blank range in stoppage time, but another victory over a top six side remains Klopp’s arch-nemesis, one that could be the Reds’ undoing this term.
