More reaction
Jonathan Wilson's verdict
Daniel Taylor's match report
FULL TIME: Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
And that’s that! Old Trafford erupts as United close out a victory earned by the brilliance of Marcus Rashford! That’s a huge result in the battle for second place in this season’s Premier League, as United ease five points clear of their bitter rivals. Their excellent first-half performance - alongside Liverpool’s strange first-half non-performance - settled it in the end. Liverpool, once the sting has of defeat has eased off a bit, will take succour in a much-improved second-half display. But Rashford was the difference. With a little help from Jose Mourinho, of course, who has once again done a number on Liverpool.
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90 min +7: Darmian comes on for Sanchez. The United fans celebrate the victory they’re sure is coming.
90 min +6: A couple of corners for Liverpool out on the right. From the second, the ball drops to Salah, 12 yards out, level with the right-hand post. Under pressure from Lingard, he skies the shot!
90 min +4: Mane very nearly bursts clear into the United box down the inside-left channel, but he’s crowded out. From the corner, United clear, and they’re tearing up on the break, four on two! Karius comes miles out of his goal and makes an amazing saving tackle in the middle of his own half! He clears, just as it looked as though United were going to strike the final blow.
90 min +2: The Old Trafford faithful are doing their best to get their team over the line. A wonderful noise within Old Trafford. Lukaku threatens to break clear down the left, chasing after McTominay’s pass. Lovren slides in well this time, putting at stop to the striker’s gallop.
90 min: Salah’s corner is punched clear by de Gea. Milner is forced to hack out of play in the midfield, as three red shirts threaten to overwhelm him on the break. But there’s time for Liverpool to recover the situation: six added minutes!
89 min: Valencia is booked on a very athletic high-kick on Mane, who was attempting to burst down the middle. From the free kick, the ball breaks to Wijnaldum on the edge of the box. His shot is deflected wide right. Corner.
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88 min: Lingard comes on for Mata, who milks his applause as he departs slowly, in the professional style. He’s been quietly impressive today, as ever.
86 min: Liverpool are pressing. Smalling goes down. The referee stops play. The visitors clearly think they’re being grifted, and for a second it looks like it’s all going to kick off, Bailly and Lallana chief protagonists. But it all calms down quickly enough.
85 min: Sanchez’s corner doesn’t clear the first man, but no matter because Young earns a free kick out no the left flank anyway. Young’s delivery causes Liverpool to collectively flap, and they give up half a chance to Mata. But the ball’s eventually cleared.
84 min: Fellaini has been immense, in both senses, since coming on. His power and bustle earns a corner down the left. It’s United’s first of the game ... and you know how these things usually go. But before it can be taken, Solanke comes on for Robertson. Liverpool are going for broke now.
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82 min: Mane strides towards the United box. He thinks about shooting, but attempts a wall pass off Firmino instead. Mane keeps going. He goes down in the area, shoulder to shoulder with Fellaini. It looks clumsy but fair from Fellaini. To be honest, Mane should have shot first time ... or Firmino should have had a go.
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80 min: Wijnaldum, who has never scored away from home in the Premier League, comes on for Alexander-Arnold. Young hooks the free kick into the Liverpool mixer. Fellaini goes up for a header. Karius punches clear, and Fellaini was offside anyway.
79 min: Lovren comes sliding in recklessly twice on Fellaini, who is going nowhere down the left. He gets away with the first one, so the second one, which is punished, is beyond stupidity, giving away a free kick in a dangerous position as it does. Before the set piece can be taken, Klopp is bollocked by the referee for over-emoting on the touchline.
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77 min: Lallana has the chance to release Robertson into acres on the overlap down the left, but hesitates. He does win a corner, but United are dealing with these easily enough.
76 min: Firmino is robbed by Lukaku in the midfield. United stream upfield, Sanchez very nearly besting Alexander-Arnold down the left. But he can’t find anyone with his eventual cross. Fellaini tries to recycle things on the other flank, but the move peters out.
74 min: Mane looks for the space to shoot on the edge of the United box. The United defence closes like an iron curtain. He has a smack anyway. The ball very nearly deflects to Salah, but at the moment the only way Liverpool look like getting through this packed defence is with a lucky bounce.
73 min: United haven’t done much in attack of late. Lukaku powers down the right and tries to spin and set up Valencia on the inside, but his cushioned pass doesn’t come off.
72 min: De Gea punches the corner clear. Alexander-Arnold tries to win the ball back on the edge of the box, but is penalised for a high boot on Sanchez.
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71 min: Firmino crosses from the left. The ball clacks off Valencia, and here comes Liverpool’s eighth corner of the game. United have yet to earn one, for what that statistic is worth.
69 min: There’s a United sub, but it’s not Bailly going off! The big, brave defender limps back on - he looked in serious pain back there. Instead, Rashford is replaced by Fellaini. The home fans aren’t super-enamoured by the switch, though it’s not open revolt or anything. A smattering of concern.
68 min: Bailly looks to have injured himself. Not sure whether he hurt his ankle in the execution of that absurd turn, but he’s down and doesn’t seem as though he’ll be able to continue.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (Bailly og 66)
Oh my. This is quite the own goal. Mane nips down the left. He curls hard and low towards the near post. On the left-hand edge of the six-yard box, Bailly tries to clear but swivels and somehow, with his back to goal, backheels powerfully into the bottom left! De Gea gets a hand on it, but can’t keep it out. Game on!
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65 min: Salah looks to rip down the right but runs the ball out of play. He waves his arms in the agitated style. Liverpool have come at United hard since the restart, but nothing’s opened up for them. Their frustration is showing.
63 min: Lallana and Salah try to dribble their way into the United box through the centre. That’s just not going to happen. The ball’s laid off for Milner, who looks for the top right from 20 yards. That’s ambitious too, given the time and space he had, and the ball sails serenely over the crossbar.
62 min: A frustrated Oxlade-Chamberlain is replaced by Lallana.
61 min: Liverpool are probing a lot, but nothing’s happening for them in the final third. United are holding their shape like granite.
59 min: Smalling uncompromisingly shoves Salah off the pitch. Salah wants the foul but he’s not getting it. Liverpool have come at United since the restart, but the home side aren’t yielding an inch.
58 min: Of the six goals United have conceded here all season, only one has been in the second half! Step forward Nicolas Otamendi. Liverpool have quite the task here.
56 min: Mane turns on the jets and dribbles with power down the inside-left channel. He flicks inside for Salah on the penalty spot, but once again, just as it looks like United are in trouble, Young turns up to deal with the situation. He’s been immense today.
55 min: Liverpool have started the half very well, as a team in their position had to. Robertson crosses from the left. The ball hits Valencia’s left arm. He’s got enough time to pull it away; you’ve seen those given as well. Gary Neville on Sky calls both of them in favour of Liverpool. Unfortunately for the visitors, the United legend isn’t reffing this game.
53 min: Mane goes tearing at the United back four, keeping them on the back foot. He’s got Salah on his right, but can’t find him with the pass. He arches his back in frustration and screams at the sky. He’s soon having another go, shooting from the left of the D, but de Gea has that one covered.
51 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain has a whack from distance. His effort is low and wide left. But it’s deflected, and that’s a corner. From the set piece, de Gea comes out to punch. Lovren gives McTominay an accidental clack on the back of the neck. And that’s a stoppage for a head injury, relieving the pressure on United. Liverpool are a bit miffed about it, though it’s very hard to see what option the referee had.
49 min: Firmino scoops a ball over the United back line. Salah breaks into the box and very nearly gets the ball under control, but Young is grappling with him, operating on the very edges of legality. The referee waves play on, and Young gets away with it. But you’ve seen those given.
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48 min: Alexander-Arnold gets the better of Rashford for once, and his work down the right earns a corner for Liverpool. Van Dijk again wins a header, on the edge of the six-yard box, level with the left-hand post. But he can only flop an effort onto the top of the netting, the ball having sailed harmlessly over the bar.
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47 min: Liverpool enjoy some early possession but it’s all in the middle third. Salah tries to get something going with a right-to-left crossfield pass but Robertson can’t gather it.
And we’re off again! Liverpool get the ball rolling for the second half. And here’s the size of their task: Manchester United have never lost a game in the Premier League era from two goals up at home. Nothing in that first half suggests that record is going to change any time soon.
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Shameless half-time plug: United and Liverpool weren’t too shabby back in the old First Division days. For some of that hot Tom Watson, Ernest Mangnall, David Ashworth, Matt McQueen, Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish championship-winning action, you could do worse than The Title: The Story of the First Division. (The best bits are about Burnley, mind.)
HALF TIME: Manchester United 2-0 Liverpool
Liverpool have had plenty of the ball. But David de Gea hasn’t had a serious save to make. Marcus Rashford, with a little help from Romelu Lukaku, has been the difference. The home side look calm and comfortable after executing their gameplan clinically ... as well as playing with no little sass. Liverpool have a lot of problems to solve. As things stand, United will open a five-point gap on their old rivals in the chase for second spot.
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45 min: There will be two added minutes of a very enjoyable half for Manchester United.
44 min: Liverpool are desperately looking for a goal before half-time to alter the mood. Firmino and Robertson combine down the left to earn a corner, but from the set piece, Lovren can’t get his header at the near post on target.
43 min: Mane slips a pass down the left for Robertson, who is in acres. He fires a low cross towards the far post. Salah is there, hoping to sidefoot home, but again Young’s antenna comes to the rescue for United. He clears and some very serious danger is gone.
41 min: From the resulting throw, Rashford comes sliding in, studs up, on Firmino. He’s lucky there’s no contact, having already been booked. A two-goal, two-yellow-card double whammy would be something to behold.
40 min: Salah has hardly had a touch. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Firmino try to get the ball out to him with some honest graft down the right, but Young covers well and isn’t to be beaten.
38 min: Valencia, out on the right, sends a beautiful crossfield pass to Sanchez on the left. Sanchez loops into the area, where the entire Liverpool defence have gone AWOL. Mata, who likes a bicycle kick against Liverpool, attempts to flash another into the right-hand side of the net. It’s inches wide of the post. Inches away from game, set and match.
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37 min: But this is far from over if Liverpool get the next goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain has an opportunity to slip Mane into the United box down the inside-left channel. He’s got a big window, but the pass doesn’t pass muster, or the nearest United defender. On the touchline, Klopp offers an immediate critique in bullet-point form.
36 min: Bailly spins past Salah with a gloriously elaborate dragback. The skill gets almost as big a cheer as the goal.
35 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain is stripped of the ball by McTominay. He responds by dragging the United midfielder to the ground, and is rightly booked.
33 min: Mourinho leans over United’s red-brick dugout looking very pleased with life. Klopp has the funk on. Thing is, his side haven’t even been that bad, even if you conside the imperfect defending. They’ve been knocking it around nicely. They’ve just been undone by two moments of direct brilliance. Also: United know how to win here.
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31 min: Firmino tries to halve the deficit by sending a low fizzer goalwards from 25 yards. Again, it’s a decent enough crack, but straight at de Gea, who isn’t letting anything like that in.
30 min: Lukaku and Sanchez combine with purpose down the right. They very nearly open Liverpool up, but Alexander-Arnold comes across to whack clear. The visitors can’t afford to concede again. United have only conceded six goals at home all season! Meanwhile here’s Adam Hirst: “You spend all that money on a world-class attacking midfielder and a world-class wide forward, yet the solution was there already, right under your nose.”
29 min: Alexander-Arnold has a crack from the right-hand corner of the United box. It’s decent enough, but no better, and De Gea flops on the shot near his right-hand post without much drama.
28 min: Rashford is booked for an over-eager slide on Milner. He can have no complaints. Liverpool work the free kick and earn themselves a corner. It’s their fourth of the match. Nothing comes of this one, either.
26 min: Questions about Lovren, who has lost two very decisive headers against Lukaku for both goals. But there’s no time for that right now, as Firmino busies himself down the right and tears off into space. His low cross is hacked out by Smalling for a corner, but van Dijk gets nowhere near this one. Liverpool may be grateful that it didn’t result in a goal kick. given whats happened so far.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Liverpool (Rashford 24)
It’s almost a carbon copy! De Gea takes a long goal kick. Lukaku helps it on. Mata tries to latch onto the ball on the edge of the box. Van Dijk - who should have made it 1-1 - only half clears and the ball breaks to Rashford on the left. One touch, bang, and the ball’s into the bottom right corner!
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23 min: Mane sashays into space from the left, then lays off for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who slides one down the channel for Firmino. For a second, it looks like Firmino will get ahead of Smalling, but the United defender knocks out for a corner. From the set piece, van Dijk stoops at the near post, nipping in ahead of Matic, and surely must score from close range. But the ball clanks off his shoulder and out of play on the left.
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21 min: Milner and Mane battle down the right, winning a couple of block tackles against Matic and Rashford. The ball breaks to Milner, who skelps a first-time cross low through the United box. There’s nobody in the middle to take advantage.
19 min: Rashford again seriously worries Alexander-Arnold on the United left. He cuts into the box again. Roberson comes across from the other flank to blooter clear. United sense there could be more action for them down this flank. It could be a long afternoon for young Alexander-Arnold.
18 min: Lukaku eyebrows the free kick away from danger. It’s going out for a corner ... but Firmino gathers on the left, then loops towards the far post. De Gea is all over the place, but the cross is too high for Mane by the right-hand post. Goal kick.
17 min: Mane goes on a dribble down the right. Bailly rather clumsily bundles him over from behind. A chance for Liverpool to load the United box. Milner stands over it.
16 min: Poor positioning by Alexander-Arnold for the goal. Rashford had given him warning earlier, too. But what a finish. Liverpool might not want to consider that United have won all 16 matches in which they’ve scored first this season.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool (Rashford 14)
What a goal this is! De Gea takes the goal kick. Lukaku flicks on down the left. Rashford gets ahead of a dozing Alexander-Arnold, and enters the box. He drops a shoulder to the right, diddling the young full back. And then curls a powerful shot into the bottom right! Magnificent! Karius had no chance!
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13 min: De Gea and Smalling confuse each other as Salah chases a ball down the right. Smalling takes control eventually and hacks out for a needless corner; that should have been the keeper’s ball. Salah takes the corner himself, and hoicks a dreadful one high over the box and out of play for a goal kick on the other side.
12 min: Matic sends Lukaku into a bit of space down the right. Lukaku should break into the box and cause Liverpool some trouble, but Robertson is over quickly to snatch the ball away and clear. That’s good defending. But United are beginning to grow into this game after a slow start.
10 min: Young launches a long pass down the left for Rashford. Alexander-Arnold manages to usher the ball out for a goal kick, but he only had inches to play with in the end. If the pitch was another yard long, Rashford was nipping round him and along the byline. This could be a defining tussle between two young English stars.
9 min: United enjoy their first extended period of possession. Sanchez has a couple of semi-threatening dribbles down the left, but nothing quite comes off. Liverpool respond with a long hoof upfield, but Mane can’t get on the end of it. All quite hectic at the moment, pretty much as expected.
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7 min: It’s a midfield tussle right now, with calm passing at a premium. The crowd is the star at the moment; a glorious derby atmosphere at Old Trafford.
5 min: Can goes on a bustling run down the middle. He overruns the ball though still manages to hoick it away from Valencia. However he catches the United man on the follow through. A foul and an excuse for the pair to tell each other to eff off. The ref tells everyone to simmer down, which to be fair they do quickly enough.
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4 min: Liverpool are enjoying more of the ball in these early exchanges. Mane slips a pass down the right for Milner, who whips low towards the near post. Oxlade-Chamberlain wants a sniff but McTominay isn’t having it.
2 min: Liverpool stroke it around the back awhile. Van Dijk gives Karius quite the hot backpass to deal with. The crowd tease the keeper as the ball fizzes towards him, but he deals with it easily enough.
And we’re off! It’s a crisp, clear day in Manchester. United get the ball rolling. Liverpool will be kicking towards the Stretford End in the second half. A bit of head tennis to start. Old Trafford is bouncing!
The teams are out! It’s Manchester United versus Liverpool at Old Trafford, so the atmosphere can be taken as read. As home heroes, United have the right to wear their famous red shirts, forcing Liverpool into their second-choice white-and-green quarters. Klopp gives each of the United players a half-smile as they troop out of the tunnel; most keep their steely gamefaces on and stare the other way, but Mata can’t stop himself giving a polite glance and a micro-nod. He’s one of the game’s gents, isn’t he. Klopp and Mourinho give each other a sporting tap on the back, too. All very nice. Anyway, photos are taken, hands are shaken, and we’ll be off before you know it!
And now Jurgen Klopp, slightly more hyper but smiling nonetheless, has his say: “It’s always the same. You always have to bring through your own skills but you have to respect the quality of your opponent as well. We cannot be blind and go into the game and say come on, let’s play football and enjoy the game ... it will be hard work, United is a group of unbelievably strong players. Mata is on the pitch, and he can change the game completely. Rashford’s speed on the wing changes the game a little bit. Lukaku is always a threat. We have to be really strong with and without the ball. I have tried to find a good set-up for this game, a good mixture.”
A relaxed-looking Jose Mourinho speaks to Sky Sports! “Juan Mata offers experience, and has the capacity to move into areas where he can connect our game, because he is very intelligent. Liverpool are a very strong team in fast counter attack, in transition, so the more times we lose the ball, the more chances they have for that transition. If we are more consistent, we try to reduce the possibility of their super-dangerous counter-attack. So let’s see if Mata can help us! They are not the kind of team to sit in a low block waiting for us. Is this aggressive defence? I don’t know. The objective is to be in front of them at the end of the season, not today. We want to win the game. Paul Pogba is injured, yesterday in training. He was in an unlucky situation. I really don’t know when he is back.”
The big news for Manchester United: there’s no Paul Pogba. Their record signing is out injured, with Juan Mata, who has given Liverpool no little grief in the past, taking his place as midfield schemer. There are two other changes to the XI named at Crystal Palace on Monday: Eric Bailly replaces Victor Lindelof at the back, while Marcus Rashford comes in at the expense of Jesse Lingard.
Liverpool make five changes to the team that drew with Porto in midweek. Captain Jordan Henderson isn’t risked after suffering a dead leg during the closing stages of that particular non-event; he’s on the bench with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain taking his place. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are restored to the defence, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez dropping to the bench while Alberto Moreno misses out altogether. And Mo Salah returns, Adam Lallana also just one of the subs today.
The teams
Manchester United: de Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Young, McTominay, Matic, Mata, Rashford, Lukaku, Sanchez.
Subs: Lindelof, Lingard, Carrick, Romero, Shaw, Fellaini, Darmian.
Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Can, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Wijnaldum, Gomez, Henderson, Lallana, Mignolet, Solanke, Matip.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).
This will be the 200th meeting of these grand old clubs. Manchester United are well out in front in terms of victories: 79 to 65. The first match, for the record, was a Test Match play-off in April 1894 between Second Division champions Liverpool and First Division stragglers Newton Heath. Liverpool won the game, played on neutral territory at Ewood Park in Blackburn, 2-0, and with it a place in the following season’s top flight at the Manchester club’s expense. Patrick Gordon and Harry Bradshaw scored the first-half goals that did for the Heathens; the second half was a bit of a non-event, according to this paper, the play being “moderate” because the players were “suffering from excitement”. What price similarly modest, highly strung play today? The more things change, etc.
Preamble
Here’s something for fans of Manchester United and Liverpool to consider! The last four games between these two famous old clubs have ended 1-1, 0-0, 1-1 and 0-0. Well, at least nobody went home upset. But have a gander back in the day. In the 1895/96 season, Liverpool beat Newton Heath 7-1 at Anfield, then went down 5-2 at Bank Street. In 1907/08, the newly christened United won 4-0 at home, but lost 7-4 at Anfield. In 1927/28, Liverpool gave their fans some very happy holidays with a 2-0 home victory on Christmas Eve, but paid for it with a 6-1 thumping at Old Trafford the following May. So what’s better? A season of dizzying highs followed by headache-inducing lows? Or this?
Actually, don’t answer that, we’d be here all day, and no good can come of it anyway. But the modern trend is not all that. We could do with something to remember! Does either side have it in them to break the recent run of dull draws, and register a resounding victory for the ages?! Well ... maybe.
United go into this game buoyed by their scintillating comeback at Crystal Palace on Monday night. Their critics argue that their football might not have been the best this season ... but this judgement is surely only by Manchester United Standards. They’re second in the league, still in the FA Cup, and a match away from the quarters of the European Cup, for goodness sake. They’ve scored 83 goals along the way! Anyway, even if they have slightly misfired at times, that Nemanja Matic thriker at Selhurst Park may well have cleared a few creative pipes. Liverpool watch out!
But Liverpool are in a good place too. They’re nearly always effervescent in attack: it’s 105 goals to date this term. They’ve just made it to the quarters of the Champions League for the first time in nearly a decade. And another top-four place in the Premier League is within reach if they can just keep their form going; they’ve won eight of their last ten matches in the division, dropping points only to Spurs and 2018 sensations Swansea. They’ve conceded just one goal in the last five games, as well, a positively Houllieresque run. United watch out!
Two teams in fine fettle, then. Another draw is possibly the most sensible shout, truth be told. Or perhaps United’s recent form at Old Trafford in this fixture will prevail: they’ve not lost since 2014, having tucked comfy 3-0 and 3-1 victories under their belts during that period. Liverpool meanwhile will take succour from the Europa League draw a couple of years ago, a moral victory since they won the tie overall. Whatever, a 7-1, 7-4 or 6-1 to either side is probably not on the cards, if we’re being honest with ourselves. But if that does happen, let’s all play together nicely, love is all you need. And remember history proves salvation is usually around the corner. Even if you have to go back a couple of centuries for much of the evidence. It’s Manchester United! Versus Liverpool! It’s on!
Kick off: 12.30pm GMT.
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