An e
ngaging first half tilted in favor of Liverpool when two mistakes by Casemiro enabled Luis Diaz to score twice, and Mohamed Salah added a third for the visitors in the second half.
Manchester United failed to mount a significant comeback from a 3-0 deficit, resulting in their second consecutive defeat. Meanwhile, Liverpool continued their perfect Premier League run, with only Manchester City keeping pace.
Game Summary
Recent encounters between these teams have not always lived up to expectations, but both sides displayed strong intent from the start. United showed promise on the wings early on.
The first significant moment came from Liverpool within ten minutes. Ryan Gravenberch advanced and crossed to Diaz, who aimed for Trent Alexander-Arnold to score. However, an offside Salah deflected the ball, leading to the goal being ruled out by the VAR.
After a quieter period of about 20 minutes, United failed to capitalize on their counterattacks. Their central midfield play was often erratic, which became evident when Liverpool took the lead.
Casemiro’s misplaced pass was intercepted by Gravenberch, who then set up Salah. Salah’s cross found Dominik Szoboszlai and Diaz, with the latter heading the ball into the net to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead.
Liverpool’s lead was well-deserved, but United didn’t respond effectively. Casemiro once again faltered, allowing Diaz to score his second goal from a low cross by Salah.
At half-time, Casemiro was substituted for 20-year-old Toby Collyer, who nearly made an impact with a header saved by Alisson.
Liverpool’s third goal came when Salah, who had already assisted in two goals, scored after Alexis Mac Allister stole the ball from Mainoo, and Szoboszlai set him up.
United did create some chances, but Alisson prevented a close-range header from Zirkzee, which should have been converted.
Ultimately, United were outplayed throughout the match and ended with nothing to show for their efforts.
**Player Ratings:**
**GK: Andre Onana – 4/10:** Positioning was off for the third goal but had little chance with the other goals.
**RB: Noussair Mazraoui – 4/10:** Struggled with Casemiro’s poor pass leading to Diaz’s header and was slow in possession.
**CB: Matthijs de Ligt – 6/10:** Showed early defensive awareness but was unsupported by teammates.
**CB: Lisandro Martinez – 4/10:** Slow to react to Diaz’s second goal and was booked for a rough challenge on Szoboszlai.
**LB: Diogo Dalot – 5/10:** Out of position for Diaz’s goal and failed to prevent Salah from setting up Diaz again.
**CM: Casemiro – 2/10:** Made two critical errors with sloppy play and was substituted at half-time.
**CM: Kobbie Mainoo – 4/10:** Overwhelmed by Mac Allister in the build-up to the third goal and did not have a significant impact.
**RW: Alejandro Garnacho – 4/10:** Had limited opportunities and was substituted midway through the second half.
**AM: Bruno Fernandes – 6/10:** Played well initially with some excellent passes, but defensive errors behind him were costly.
**LW: Marcus Rashford – 5/10:** Started brightly but his influence diminished as the game progressed.
**ST: Joshua Zirkzee – 5/10:** Received an unnecessary booking and frequently lost possession.
**Substitutes:**
**SUB: Toby Collyer (46′ for Casemiro) – 5/10**
**SUB: Harry Maguire (69′ for De Ligt) – 5/10**
**SUB: Amad Diallo (69′ for Garnacho) – 5/10**
**SUB: Christian Eriksen (86′ for Zirkzee) – N/A**
**Unused Subs:** Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Antony, Jonny Evans, Ethan Wheatley.
**Manager:**
**Erik ten Hag – 5/10:** His efforts were hindered by Casemiro’s poor performance, and his substitutions had minimal effect on the game’s outcome.
