Liverpool booked an extremely important victory in the battle for a Champions League ticket on Thursday evening. Jürgen Klopp’s team fought well past arch-rival Manchester United (2-4) and is advancing to fifth place. Liverpool have a relatively easy schedule (West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Crystal Palace), while competitors Chelsea and Leicester face each other next week. The Reds are also fully competing for a coveted ticket for the billion-dollar tournament.
Beforehand, Manchester United fans protested again near Old Trafford, but the game could continue this time. The first chance in the game was in the fifth minute for Edinson Cavani, who just got the ball pushed into the feet by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. The Manchester United striker, however, aimed wide. Five minutes later it was still hit for United. Aaron Wan-Bissaka passed from the backline back to Bruno Fernandes, whose shot from the outside right went through the body of the unfortunate defender Nathaniel Philips: 1-0.
After the opening goal, Liverpool had the best of the game. Trent Alexander-Arnold set him up perfectly for Diogo Jota, who pitted against the fast-paced Dean Henderson. Liverpool appeared to receive a penalty for an alleged tap by Eric Bailly on Nathaniel Philips, but referee Anthony Taylor reversed that decision after viewing the footage. The pressure forward gave Liverpool a goal a little later, when United did not get the ball out of the penalty area after a corner kick. Philips brought him back in front of the goal, after which Jota scored with a beautiful heel: 1-1. In injury time, Liverpool even took the lead, when Roberto Firmino headed in at the far post from a perfect free kick by Alexander-Arnold: 1-2.
Two minutes after the break, Liverpool took advantage of the loss of possession in the build-up of Luke Shaw. A shot from Alexander-Arnold was badly handled by Henderson, allowing Firmino to enter the rebound: 1-3. After an hour of play, Jota could have further increased the score for Liverpool, but the Portuguese attacker aimed for the post. Manchester United brought the tension back in the 68th minute via Marcus Rashford, who was deeply sent by Cavani and gently pushed the ball past Alisson: 2-3. United substitute Mason Greenwood saw a bet taken off the line by Philips immediately afterwards. On the other side, the broken Liverpool substitute Sadio Mané was unable to tap the ball past Henderson. In the ninetieth minute, Mohamed Salah brought redemption for Liverpool on the counter, after a long rush to score: 2-4.
| No. | Team | M. | W. | G. | V. | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 35 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 46 | 80 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 28 | 70 |
| 3 | Leicester City | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 21 | 66 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 36 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 22 | 64 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 35 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 60 |
| 6 | West Ham United | 35 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 58 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 56 |
| 8 | Everton | 35 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 56 |
| 9 | Arsenal | 36 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 55 |
| 10 | Leeds United | 35 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 50 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 35 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 49 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton W. | 35 | 12 | 9 | 14 | -12 | 45 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | -22 | 41 |
| 14 | Southampton | 35 | 11 | 7 | 17 | -18 | 40 |
| 15 | Burnley | 35 | 10 | 9 | 16 | -14 | 39 |
| 16 | Newcastle United | 35 | 10 | 9 | 16 | -18 | 39 |
| 17 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 35 | 8 | 13 | 14 | -5 | 37 |
| 18 | Fulham | 35 | 5 | 12 | 18 | -22 | 27 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 35 | 5 | 11 | 19 | -36 | 26 |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 35 | 5 | 2 | 28 | -44 | 17 |