MANCHESTER UNITED 3 – 2 LIVERPOOL
Manchester United: Cunha 6’, Sesko 15’, Mainoo 77’
Liverpool: Szoboszlai 46’, Gakpo 55’
Pre-Match
In the race for the Champions League spots, this might be one of the most important matches we have left. We are literally tied on points with United, they only lead on goals scored, and if we take the three points we can overtake them for real. If there is one thing that hurts this writer personally, it is finishing the season behind United. After all the work we’ve done to get ourselves back out of their
shadow, it is so annoying to be looking back up at them after one bad season. Will we still struggle? Sure. We’re without Mohamed Salah and potentially still Alisson Becker despite this being the match he was hoping to return for, and who knows what team is going to show up at Old Trafford. We need to keep the momentum from the last two wins and turn it into another three points more than anything else.
First Half
We get underway at Old Trafford and the crowd certainly looks up for it as the hosts are filled with that unfortunate feeling that they can take us. Our last few meetings haven’t gone our way after all, though we’ll always hold the memories of 7-0 in high esteem. United take control early on and we’re making it a little too easy for them to get around us. Poor Freddie Woodman kind of thrown to the wolves in this match with Alisson not making his fitness marker, and a poor clearance from him goes right to a United player and they continue to look threatening. Of course, in the sixth minute the hosts take the lead through Matheus Cunha after a corner. There’s a brief VAR check but the goal is ruled good and play continues. We eventually get back to the other end, and we get in front of goal but Cody Gakpo tries to head it but it goes right into feet and dies. So its going to be one of those games, it feels.
There are a couple bright spots in the ensuing minutes with Liverpool getting a little closer to the final third, but United have been able to completely dismantle us and get another chance and make it two, this time with Benjamin Sesko finding the net through some defensive shambles. There’s another VAR check, this time for a handball, and it does look like Sesko has brushed it with his hand in the replay but the goal is still given and again, it’s going to be one of those matches where nothing goes our way. What did we expect, its Old Trafford. We need to get more into this game and find some kind of needle to get through.
Depending on Cody Gakpo for our goals today is going to be a bad plan, as he gets another advantageous chance around 22 minutes in, shades of previous seasons telling him to shoot from distance but the effort goes wide and the keeper doesn’t even need to touch it. No one knows how to get into other spaces, or how to help the others when someone does get into a good space and gets dispossessed. It’s depressing to watch, honestly. Even when we do have more possession, passing the ball back and forth to each other, we can’t make the right decision to get somewhere.
We go into the last ten minutes of the half, passing the ball back and forth once again, not getting it into places where it would be useful. Even when we carry the ball, our decision making is so poor that its almost like we don’t know how to score, like the knowledge has completely left our brains. I can’t even say there’s a chance we’ll score before the end of the half because we’ve never looked further from scoring. The best thing so far has been seeing Harry Maguire take a ball to the head.
Second Half
We’re back out for the second half with, unsurprisingly, no changes made to the squad. Things start to look up thankfully with Szoboszlai taking United by surprising and PULLING ONE BACK! WE’RE ON THE BOARD! Mainoo misplaces a pass right to the midfielder’s feet and he’s off to the races to half the deficit. This is a little more like it, and the Reds look a little more invigorated for this half, and it helps that the ref is being a little mindful and recording fouls from the hosts. We win two free kicks just outside off the box in quick succession, but Andy Robertson’s efforts leave much to be desired and the possession doesn’t go our way.
United are fully rattled now BECAUSE CODY FINALLY EQUALIZES! The hosts have switched off in these opening ten minutes of the half and their goalkeeper passes it right to a Liverpool player, leaving the goal open and we’re level!!! ONE MORE LADS AND WE CAN TAKE THREE POINTS!
Arne Slot actually making a change before the hour mark, taking off Andy Robertson for the final time at Old Trafford and putting on Milos Kerkez. A change that actually makes sense and might make us better in this half, as much as we all love Robbo. Frimpong seems to have finally found his feet after some of the United defenders have given him some space – or he’s found some speed to get away from them – and makes a peach of a pass to open up Kerkez on the left and Cody takes another chance from the same area, but it goes high after catching a United boot. We can win this.
Cunha goes in on Gravenberch in a late challenge and we’re awarded another free kick in a spot that is good for Szoboszlai in the 67th minute, and his effort goes into the scrum but United just barely keep the ball from crossing the line. United’s heads have completely gone since we’ve leveled, and we can smell the blood in the water. A corner is won by the Reds and Szoboszslai is on it again, but the ball doesn’t find a ready set of feet. The cycle starts again.
73 minutes, another free kick for Liverpool after Bruno Fernandes tries to cry about something or other, and of course Szoboszlai lines it up. He has scored from this place before, this exact spot, although it is a little further out this time, and his effort does hit a player instead of lifting over. Slot makes another change, bringing on Rio Ngumoha for Frimpong, which feels like a shame because Frimpong has really found a place in this half. The speed and fearlessness from Ngumoha is only a benefit right now as we continue to strip them apart.
We got a little too cocky, unfortunately, as it is United that takes the lead once again, this time just with a little luck on their side and Kobbie Mainoo scoring. We have to find an equalizer again, find that fighting mentality that carried us this far, and then another winner. The worst part is that the wind is taken out of our sails, the feeling of being in control and feeling desperate. Fernandes deserves a red in the 80th minute for going directly for Szoboszlai’s ankles but only gets a yellow for the foul. We open up on the counterattack and Rio takes a shot from distance but it goes wide with probably all the anger we’re all feeling now. Federico Chiesa comes on for… Konate, and I guess Slot is playing FIFA now (excuse me, EA Football) trying to find the equalizer and just putting attackers on. Naturally, it is the 86th minute when the player can’t make much of a difference either way.
Five minutes of added time, to find at least an equalizer, but it feels far away.
Final Thoughts
It looked like, for a good opening 25 minutes of the half, that we could win this. And then they got lucky, we got unlucky, and they found a winner and we became losers once again.
