LIVERPOOL 1 – 2 MANCHESTER UNITED
Liverpool: Gakpo 77’
Manchester United: Mbeumo 1’, Maguire 84’
Pre-Match
It’s unfortunately time for the Champions to host those from down the highway. Manchester United come to Anfield with 10 points and
-2 goal differential. Granted, Liverpool are restarting the campaign on the back of two losses back to back in the league, and are hosting a team that historically just wants to really hit us where it may hurt, so realistic expectations today might help. Here’s hoping that the various heroics of the international break have carried over back to Anfield this time because we could surely use a lift, especially against United.
First Half
Here we go! Things get started quickly and not even a minute in, Alexis Mac Allister goes down after colliding with Virgil van Dijk and Bryan Mbeumo, and despite Macca still rolling on the floor and needing treatment, Michael Oliver says play on and Mbeumo goes on to score. So that’s fun. Macca eventually receives not just the black tape treatment but a helmet and play is finally allowed to continue. Would love for that misstep to light a fire under the butts of the hosts, but we’ll see. United have unfortunately had most of the control since play restarted, so the uphill climb feels acute at the moment. Liverpool win a free kick in the 12th minute and have their first chance at a goal, but Szoboszlai’s effort goes too wide for even Virgil to get his head on.
Liverpool are giving too much space and respect to the visitors, and not being imposing enough themselves. They finally have a lucky break as they catch United off guard, but Cody Gakpo’s shot hits the post and no one is there to get the rebound shot. Michael Oliver has allowed United to foul us all over the park, and we’re not really doing enough about it to make a difference. You can’t even say the half has been boring because it’s not like there hasn’t been any action, but Liverpool are playing like they’ve maybe somehow forgotten to play? And letting Michael Oliver tell them to just give every advantage to United. There have been bright spots, but somehow we can’t hit the broad side of a barn either. Alexander Isak even has a shot go wide after Kerkez wins the ball and gets everyone forward.
I don’t even know how to describe what I’m watching. Liverpool have once again gotten a good break, with Konate releasing the ball nicely for Isak, but his shot goes right at the keeper and though Isak is able to recycle towards Mac Allister, the whistle is blown. There is no attacking cohesion, there is no forethought for when we get the ball, and every chance we get is squandered because we somehow have no idea where the actual goal is and not the posts or the keeper. The Reds win a free kick and though Conor Bradley is able to carry it into the final third, he’s dispossessed and we’re given a corner, but it’s taken short and Virgil misses another header. And then the United keeper picks up the ball after releasing it and receives no reprimands.
It’s not even just that we’ve forgotten how to play football, but that the rules are suddenly opposites and we can’t catch up because we are playing how the game is supposed to be played (somehow) and the ref is telling us the opposite. There are only four minutes added to the half, and Liverpool have appeared to get themselves together in these last ten or so minutes, so an equalizer would be great just before the break. That is, until Casemiro throws himself to the ground and United are awarded a goal kick, and any advantage Liverpool had was put down.
Second Half
We come back for the second half with almost literally all to play for. Slot makes no changes and we can only hope that there was some kind of stern talk from someone in the dressing room during that break. And yet, we are back to the same, with United winning a free kick after Bruno Fernandes kicks the ground and topples over, but thankfully for us they try to go around the wall and Mac Allister intercepts to get a counter attack going. The effort is thwarted once again by United throwing themselves to the ground and Michael Oliver calling the foul when nothing has happened. So it’s not even that we’ve forgotten to play football, it almost feels like we are not allowed to play at all. Cody picks up a peach of a cross and juggles it well to get control but once again hits the post. So it goes.
The first card of the match, yes you read that right, comes from Amad Diallo trying to break Gakpo’s ankles and is likely only not a red card because he won the ball. Liverpool win another corner in the 53rd minute and Salah gets a boot on it after Virgil misses it again, but it goes over the crossbar. The Reds have started to ratchet up the pressure, thankfully, winning another corner after Isak’s pass is blocked but Szoboszlai’s shot doesn’t find a worthy target, and the play moves back afield. Now Mo Salah is fouled by Casemiro and the Brazilian tries to get out of it by feigning injury but his pulled up by the physio and subbed off, after receiving the second yellow card of the match. Michael Oliver has decided he’s had enough of handing them this match, I suppose, but the damage may already be done.
Slot finally makes some changes in the 60th minute, with Gravenberch, Bradley and Mac Allister coming off for Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Curtis Jones. Szoboszlai presumably moves into the right back role and we might be able to make something happen, finally. If we can actually find the back of the net. Ekitike already pushes things forward and though Wirtz had loads of space to move into, the Frenchman shoots straight into the Kop. Even a chance opens up for Salah but with Lammens bearing down on him, he lifts the ball wide too. Maybe even the most welcome change comes at the 71st minute with Federico Chiesa coming on for Isak.
There is plenty of time to turn this thing around and with some of our better attackers on the pitch, that maybe the outfield know better how to play towards, the hope is starting to come back that we could pull this one back. One point is better than none, but three is also better than one. Curtis Jones takes his chances but rolls it right into Lammens’ arms. There is some lively tricky play around the 75th minute, trying to get around the United defense, that leads to a corner and the first one doesn’t go anywhere, but a second finally gets some link up play going and CODY GAKPO SCORES! AN EQUALIZER HAS FINALLY COME! If we can find it within ourselves to do something like that again, then we might get out of this alive. There is some more life in this squad and it’s clear they are trying to turn the pressure on again, so hopefully it is not too late.
Just kidding, we let Harry Maguire score, send everyone home. Mohamed Salah comes off for Jeremie Frimpong and we have to start the uphill climb once more. Frimpong gets involved right away and threads the ball across the face of the goal, Gakpo gets a head on it, and sends it wide. So it goes again. There are inexplicably eight minutes added at the back of this half, so conceivably we could equalize again, especially after winning a corner, but good lord.
Final Thoughts
I’ve seen some terrible games in my time, and even some wins that we probably didn’t deserve, but this was something else. Did we deserve this result? Maybe? Did they deserve to win? I doubt it.
