Key events
“Greetings from sunny and breezy California!” says Peter Oh. “My biggest concern is that this match, so far, has been a huge step backwards in terms of computing technology. Generative Al (Alexander Isak) hasn’t delivered on its promise, and Man United have got their tails up like it’s Y2K!”
Half-time reading
Man Utd through a startlingly early goal from Bryan Mbeumo. Both teams came close in a scruffy but compelling half. Cody Gakpo and Bruno Fernandes hit the post at either end, then combined in advertently to do so again when Gakpo’s cross deflected off Fernandes, over Senne Lammens and off the far post.
Lammens saved well from Alexander Isak; at the other Giorgi Mamardashvili made an old-school centre-half’s challenge to deny Mbeumo a second.
Half time: Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd
Peep peep!
45+2 min Mbeumo’s goal was timed at 62 seconds, which makes it the fastest in this fixture in the Premier League era.
The previous fastest was lost in the exploits of two fellas called Cantona and Fowler.
45+1 min Four minutes of added time.
45 min Bruno Fernandes curls a long pass towards Mbeumo, forcing Van Dijk to come across and clear. He shakes his head as he walks back to his position, presumably in disgust at how open Liverpool are defensively.
43 min Cunha curls well wide from distance – pretty similar, in fact, to the position from which he scored on this ground for Wolves last season.
40 min A free-kick from Fernandes, deep on the right, bounces up awkwardly and is sliced onto the roof of own net by Gakpo. He could have had a hat-trick!
The resulting corner is missed by Mamardashvili, who looks surprisingly uncomfortable, and headed clear by Konate on the line. I don’t know whether it was going in or not but Mamardashvili was certainly out of the game.
38 min “That penalty appeal for the Amad ‘handball’ would have stopped the game for at least five minutes up here,” writes Simon McMahon. “Then, depending on the eventual outcome, there would have been a week’s worth of media coverage about ‘agendas’ and how there’s a conspiracy against Celtic Rangers whoever.
“Honestly, all I want from football is to see Dundee United win the Scottish Cup again in my lifetime with my daughter, Evie. That seems realistic and not too much to ask, right? Though Dundee haven’t won the Scottish since 1910, so, you know. But they did beat Celtic today, leaving Hearts five points clear at the top. I really hope the Jam Tarts don’t have to go to Dens on the last day needing just a point…”
37 min This is a good spell for Liverpool, probably their best in terms of sustained pressure.
35 min: Chance for Isak! Konate shapes a fantastic long pass around Shaw and into the path of Isak, whose shot on the run is kicked away at the near post by Lammens. There’s an argument he should have come off his line to beat Isak to the ball, but having stayed at home he made a really good save and is being congratulated by his teammates.
34 min “Hey, guys,” writes Matt Dony, “have I ever told you how much I hate football? Like, really hate it! This is not fun. I’m watching the match while playing pool with my son, who is currently (and unprecedentedly) 3-0 up. This is looking like a bad day. I regret allowing a drunk AI to write an email on my behalf.”
32 min: Gakpo hits the post again!
This time it was a deflected cross from the left that looped over the helpless Lammens and hit the inside of the far post. Liverpool keep the ball alive undtil Salah’s header from Kerkez’s cross is saved comfortably by Lammens.
29 min Dalot’s poor clearance goes straight to Isak on the edge of the area; he controls it smartly only to mishit his shot well wide.
This is a flawed but fascinating game.
More chances for Man Utd
27 min Mount shoots over from close range after Mamardashvili pushes Cunha’s cross into a dangerous area; it was a tough chance because the ball bounced almost behind him.
Moments later, Mamardashvili is forced into a desperate lunging tackle on Mbeumo eight yards out when Kerkez makes an interception and inadvertently knocks the ball across the face of his own goal.
Finally, after that Mamardashvili tackle, the ball runs to Mount 25 yards from goal. He whistles a left-foot shot that is pushed away to his left by the diving Mamaradashvili.
26 min Mac Allister’s low shot from 20 yards is comfortably saved by Lammens. That’s the first shot on target at either end apart from the goal, though both teams have hit the post.
24 min: Fernandes hits the post!
Oof, and now it should be 2-0 to Manchester United. Cunha sprayed a superb crossfield pass out to Amad, who ran at the backpedalling Kerkez and into the Liverpool area. Eventually Amad flicked an inviting pass back towards Fernandes, who was charging onto the scene as if world peace depended on it. Fernandes slammed a first-time shot from 15 yards that clipped the outside of the post and flew wide. For a player of his quality, that’s a glorious chance.
20 min: Gakpo hits the post!
A thrilling break from Liverpool almost leads to the equaliser. Szoboszlai feeds a pass into the centre circle for the unmarked Salah, who turns and curls an excellent pass to Gakpo in the inside-left channel. Gakpo veers to the right, uses the last United defender as a screen and flashes a curling shot towards goal from 20 yards. It beats Lammens and bounces off the face of the right-hand post. That would have been a lovely goal.
19 min “All Arsenal fans will gratefully accept Matt Dony’s kind award of the Premier League title,” says Charles Antaki. “Or they would do, had they not been hampered by the original sin of Doubt. There will, as is the Arsenal way, be more injuries, dodgy penalties and fluffed sitters for any award to be dreamt of pro-tem. But, for the moment, viva United.”
18 min: Liverpool penalty appeal turned down Gakpo’s cross shot hits the left arm of Amad, who was in the process of turning away from the ball, and the home crowd scream for a penalty. Michael Oliver waves play on and VAR decides his arm was in a natural position.
Amad’s right arm was miles away from his body – had the ball hit that it would have been a penalty.
18 min No sign of panic or nervousness from Liverpool, who are probing patiently whenever they have the ball. After one such move, Bradley’s low cross is lumped clear by Maguire.
Moments later, Isak’s cutback from the byline is taken off a Liverpool toe, possibly that of Mac Allister, by Shaw. That was an important touch.
16 min Amad sprays a crossfield pass out to Dalot on the left wing,, only for Bradley to nip in and steal the ball. United were in a promising position there but Dalot’s touch was slightly too heavy.
14 min Salah’s free-kick form the inside-left channel is headed wide by the diving Van Dijk beyond the far post. A very tough chance; I doubt even Keith Houchen would have scored.
12 min Depending on which team you support, Mo Salah has so far been a) worryingly quiet or b) too quiet.
If you’re a neutral, he has been c) quiet.
9 min The game is yet to settle down, which feels odd to say when a goal has already been scored. But Liverpool, stung by that early goal, are starting to find a bit of rhythm.
6 min “Regression to the norm” is the subject of Matt Dony’s latest email. I’ll let you decide whether it’s from the real Matt Dony or the AI version.
Can I be the first person to congratulate Arsenal on their historic League Title.
4 min Mac Allister is having his head bandaged and will be okay to continue. Liverpool have a case and under normal circumstances play would stopped. In this case I don’t think anybody – the referee Michael Oliver included – realised until after the goal had been scored that Mac Allister had a head injury.
3 min Mac Allister stayed down after the United goal. He was caught on the head when Van Dijk and Mbeumo jumped for a header in the build-up. It may have been Van Dijk who caught him but Liverpool’s argument is that play should stop whenever there’s a head injury.
Goodness me, what a start.Van Dijk’s towering defensive header was collected in the centre circle by Fernandes, who pushed it out to Amad on the right. Van Dijk was slightly slow to recover and Mbeumo scooted past him into the area. Amad threaded a perfectly weighted ball into his path and Mbeumo clipped it past Mamardashvili with his right foot. That’s a smart first-time finish – and a stunning start to the game.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd (Mbeumo 2)
Bryan Mbeumo scores after 62 seconds!
1 min Bryan Mbeumo gets the game under way with United kicking from left to right as we watch.
We’re seconds away from kick-off. Here’s a quick reminder of the teams.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isak.
Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Wirtz, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Robertson, Frimpong, Ngumoha.
Man Utd (3-4-2-1) Lammens; De Ligt, Maguire, Shaw; Diallo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Mount; Cunha.
Subs: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Zirkzee, Dorgu, Yoro, Ugarte, Heaven, Sesko, Mainoo.
Referee Michael Oliver.
“It’s not even 11:30 here,” writes Joe Pearson, “but I’ll have some of whatever AI Matt Dony is drinking.”
A drunk AI Dony will never be as entertaining as the real thing.
While it’s not exactly writes-your-scripts territory, Alexander Isak would love to score his first Premier League goal for Liverpool this afternoon.
Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts
I cannot criticise the players’ work-rate [in recent weeks] But there are one or two moments in games that have killed us; that’s where we need to do better.
[How can you win the game tactically?] It depends partly on how they set up. We’ve seen them play with Sesko multiple times and they go to Liverpool and change the line-up. Let’s wait to see what they do – it could mean Mason Mount plays as a 10 in a 5-3-2 rather than the normal 5-2-3. We’ll find out when the game starts.
[Ibrahima Konate] came back from the national team because he felt his back. He trained with the team Friday and it was clear he could play today.
An alternative formbook
Tim de Lisle of the excellent Substack United Writing points out that, while Liverpool have won all five games at Anfield, this season, United have won none out of four away from home. Two draws, two defeats – and one those draws was the Grimsby fiasco.
This email was signed by ‘Matt Dony’. Regular readers of our Liverpool liveblogs will know it has been written by an AI FRAUD.
Feeling pretty good. Three points in the bag. Salah is going to rediscover last year’s form. Wirtz will come on after an hour and tear the place up. Gakpo will bury a screamer from 25 yards. 4-0. Boom.
Ruben Amorim’s pre-match thoughts
In our club the next game is always the most important, the one that can change the mindset of everyone. But if we think one game is important than another [because it’s Liverpool], that is a big mistake.
[On his team selection] I don’t want to say a lot before the game. But Harry Maguire has a lot of experience, Liverpool [put in] a lot of crosses and he gives us more power at set-pieces, which is really important these days in the Premier League.
Cunha has one characteristic that can help us push the team forward. Van Dijk likes confrontations in the air so we will try to give them different things [to deal with].
[On Senne Lammens, who is playing his first away game for Man Utd] It’s a different game but I think he is ready. Everyone is ready We have to be focussed on the task.
‘Ten years, man’
Given Mo Salah’s recent form (poor) and record against Man Utd (peerless), we may well hear the phrase “Who else?” at some point this afternoon. Opta’s supercomputer reckons there’s a 74.19 per cent chance.
“And Michael Oliver has pointed to the spot…”
“I struggle to understand the contention that Manchester United are playing ‘slightly better than their results would suggest’,” says Eric Peterson. “Their three wins are against two promotees (Burnley and Sunderland) and a Chelsea reduced to 10 men for 85 minutes of the game. Rather, I would suggest it’s quite clear that Manchester United’s record flatters to deceive.”
Plenty of people, including disciples of data, think they have played slightly better than their results suggest. It’s fine to disagree – this is a blog, not a judicial review – but come on, phrases like ‘I struggle to understand’ and ‘It’s quite clear’ are unnecessarily reductive.
Read Jonathan Wilson on Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz and the dangers of foresight
Benjamin Sesko is on the bench today, but that won’t stop the moronic nonsense. If anything…
Video: Why are Liverpool playing worse despite breaking transfer records?
Florian Wirtz stays on the bench for Liverpool, with Arne Slot picking the same XI that started the defeat to Chelsea a fortnight ago. Liverpool began that game really well before losing their way.
Matheus Cunha replaces Benjamin Sesko up front for Manchester United, presumably because of his superior ball-carrying ability. Harry Maguire for Leny Yoro is the only other change from their 2-0 win over Sunderland.
Team news
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isak.
Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Wirtz, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Robertson, Frimpong, Ngumoha.
Man Utd (3-4-2-1) Lammens; De Ligt, Maguire, Shaw; Diallo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Mount; Cunha.
Subs: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Zirkzee, Dorgu, Yoro, Ugarte, Heaven, Sesko, Mainoo.
Referee Michael Oliver.
Preamble
Most of the time, rivalries peak when the two parties are fighting for the biggest prizes. Think Coe and Ovett, Benn and Eubank, Corrigan and Usborne. But their battles can be equally compelling when one or both are struggling and the stakes are not as high; ask anybody who watched, for example, the unforgettable 3-3 draw between a shambolic Liverpool and a rampant Manchester United at Anfield in January 1994.
The current, contrasting struggles of Liverpool and Manchester United have been the main source of fascination – and hype – ahead of today’s game. Liverpool are a) the defending champions and b) on a run of three straight defeats. United are a) in the bottom half of the table again and b) playing slightly better than their results would suggest.
This fixture could be the perfect palate cleanser for Liverpool and especially Mo Salah, who has a spectacular record against United. But United will take heart from last season’s 2-2 draw, when they produced their best performance under Ruben Amorim; today they’re hoping to win consecutive league games under him for the first time. A minor landmark, sure, but every developing side needs those.
One thing’s for sure: whatever the result, there will be narrative.
Kick off 4.30pm.
