Key events
Half time: Man Utd 2-0 Liverpool
Man Utd are on course for their first league double over Liverpool in a decade. The goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko may have been fortunate, and Sesko’s might have been disallowed, but United were much the better team and could have scored more on the break. Liverpool’s performance might generously be described as sub-optimal.
45+3 min Fernandes passes a corner towards Mbeumo on the edge of the box. His shot is blocked by Van Dijk.
45+1 min Four minutes of added time. The impressive teenager Ayden Heaven gets a big cheer from the home fans after a well-judged sliding tackle on Frimpong.
45 min At the other end, Gravenberch and Wirtz have shots blocked – the latter by the head of Maguire, who slipped and was in a horizontal position when the ball boinged off the side of his head. I think there was an offside before Wirtz’s shot.
44 min Cunha has a shot blocked after an imaginative free-kick from Fernandes. The ball runs to Konate, who seems to freeze eight yards from his own goal and is harassed by Sesko and Cunha. The ball ricochets off somebody and is kept out by Woodman.
41 min Gravenberch has a pop from distance. It’s too straight and Lammens saves easily.
40 min Man Utd have kept Liverpool at arm’s length throughout the first half. But they haven’t been as clinical as they might on the break and because of that Liverpool are still in the contest. If they get the next goal, the mood will change in an instant.
39 min “There’s an enjoyable twist to fairly defending managers by comparing them to the greatest manager of all time,” writes Zach Neeley. “‘Give me another chance and I will improve. Just not like that to be clear, I can’t do that.’”
38 min We’ve just seen blown-up footage of Sesko’s goal. His fingernails probably did scrape the ball before it hit his chest and bounced into the net. The operative word is ‘probably’ – I can understand why VAR decided the evidence wasn’t conclusive. Equally, were I a Liverpool fan I’d be hacked off as it probably was handball.
34 min Incidentally, Bruno Fernandes won’t get an assist for Sesko’s goal because of Woodman’s touch. Don’t get me started on Alexander Isak’s non-assist at Goodison…
Nothing much is happening in this game; United are in control with and without the ball.
32 min Some breaking news: Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital from Old Trafford after feeling unwell before today’s game. It sounds like a precaution rather than anything more serious, but we’ll have more details at half-time.
30 min “Managers are fired too soon these days, and in a reasonable world Slot would get another season,” says Zach Neeley, lining up the inevitable ‘but’, “but I must admit there is a foul smell to his work this season.
“If the team was convinced the title was a well-made and well-taught team mostly doing it on their own, then it makes sense to get it over with.”
I fear for Slot, especially with Xabi Alonso available, but I can’t abide the culture of sacking managers at the first sign of trouble. Does 11, 2, 11, 13, 6, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 mean nothing?!
28 min At the other end, Wirtz shoots well wide from the edge of the area.
27 min: Great chance for Fernandes!
Liverpool are all over the place every time United counter-attack. Mbeumo runs down the right and clips a flat cross towards Fernandes, who batters it just wide from 12 yards. The bounce made it slightly awkward but he should have scored.
24 min Cody Gakpo, who hit the woodwork about 48 times in the return fixture at Anfield, whacks an excellent curling shot just wide from 25 yards. Lammens may have had it covered but it was a fine effort.
23 min “What has to happen for Mr. Slot to be released?” wonders Jeff Sax.
For him to have not win the Premier League last season?
22 min Konate gets away with a clear foul on Sesko, shoving him off the field and onto the running track. The referee was a fair way behind play because of the speed at which United broke.
20 min Sesko’s goal was his 11th in the Premier League this season, nine of them since the start of 2026.
19 min The match situation is perfect for Man Utd, who can sit deep and hit Liverpool on the break.
Goal given! There’s no conclusive evidence of handball by Sesko so the goal stands.
VAR check ongoing After a longish spell of Liverpool possession, Man Utd broke devastatingly down the right. Fernandes played a marvellous first-time pass/cross to Sesko, whose close-range shot was well saved by Woodman. Sesko. wanted a penalty but I think he just lost his balance slightly.
Either way, play continued and a deep cross from the left was headed back across goal by Fernandes. The diving Woodman tried to palm the ball away but it hit Sesko and rebounded slowly into the net.
Sesko was definitely onside for the goal – but the ball may have brushed his fingers before it hit his chest and rebounded into the net.
GOAL? Man Utd 2-0 Liverpool (Sesko 14)
There will be an offside check, and maybe a check for a penalty if the goal doesn’t count.
In other news, Bournemouth have gone 3-0 ahead against Crystal Palace. The ears of Andoni Iraola’s agent are going to have a busy summer.
9 min Cunha scored winners at Arsenal and Chelsea earlier in the season; he also came off the bench to create the second when they beat Manchester City. His goal today was fortunate, but it also fits the profile.
8 min Gakpo heads wide from Frimpong’s cross, though he was offside.
Mbeumo’s corner was headed away but not out of danger by Robertson. Cunha, lurking on the edge of the area, had a right-foot shot blocked by Gravenberch. The ball rebounded to Cunha, whose mishit left-foot shot took a big deflection off Mac Allister and bounced into the far corner.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-0 Liverpool (Cunha 6)
Matheus Cunha, a player who was born for big games, has put United ahead!
6 min United are making the early running. Dalot finds Mbeumo, whose driven cross to the near post is turned behind by Konate.
4 min A teasing cross from Mbeumo just evades Sesko, who leapt between Konate and Jones at the far post. I think he jumped too early.
Just before that, a nervous clearance from Woodman went straight to Mbeumo.
3 min “Who would have predicted at the start of the season that, come matchday 35, United would be in the top four, let alone above Liverpool?” wonders Krishnamoorthy V. “The glorious uncertainty that keeps the game alive.”
Gary Neville?
2 min Liverpool have started with Gakpo on the left and Wirtz and Szoboszlai as a pair of false nines. It’s similar to the formation that worked so well at the Etihad last season.
1 min Dominik Szoboszlai is on kick-off duty for Liverpool, who are kicking from right to left as we watch. Liverpool haev had plenty of recent success at Old Trafford, including a 3-0 win last season and a 5-0 romp in 2021-22.
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“While Mo Salah’s record against Utd truly is startling,” says Ian Copestake, “the four goals Fernando Torres scored in his time are imprinted so deeply they should be measured in cat years.”
How are you measuring Nemanja Vidic’s red cards when Torres terrorised him?
A reminder of the teams
Man Utd (4-2-3-1) Lamments; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Subs: Bayindir, Dorgu, Malacia, Mazraoui, Yoro, Mount, Ugarte, Amad, Zirkzee.
Liverpool (possible 4-2-3-1) Woodman; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo.
Subs: Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Nyoni, Morrison, Ngumoha, Ndiaye, Wright.
Referee Darren England.
Michael Carrick’s pre-match thoughts
We knew [Cunha’s injury] wasn’t a serious one. As a squad we look strong – we’ve got good options to finish the game as well.
We know this is a massive game, regardless of the league table or anything else, and I’ve been close to it for so long. Being in the away end [at Anfield in 2015-16, the last time Man Utd did the double over Liverpool] was a great experience and it gives you a different perspective, but today’s a new game. If we could win today it’ll be big for us.
We want to attack the game as best we can. We started really well [against Brentford] but then we had to manage the game against a good team. Both teams will want to take the ball today – it’ll be a tight game between two even teams.
[On the chance to beat City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool since taking over] It’s not about me. This game’s never been about individuals. I’ve never gone into this game thinking about myself, and I don’t think anyone is in that dressing-room. It’s as big one today for many reasons.
“I shall be watching this match in a pub with no mobile signal,” boasts Matt Dony, “living like it’s 1998. (Except without the curtains haircut and notepad full of bad lyrics.) As I won’t be able to follow the MBM, here are a few emails to cover most eventualities…
“Yes, get in! I never doubted Slot! The early-season Wirtz-scepticism was maddening knee-jerkery! That screamer from 30 yards, he must have a foot like a traction engine!
“Ah well, there’s less shame in losing to this United than Amorim’s rabble. And Fernandes is a quality player who has arguably wasted his best years carrying a sub-standard team.
“A draw feels like a fair result, given their respective positions. And it was a relatively jeopardy-free game, what with Champions League football being almost guaranteed for both.
“Wow, I can’t believe both Manchester clubs have entered voluntary liquidation, and Arsenal have been hit with a 30-point deduction! Did not see any of that coming! Still, we’ll enjoy the title celebrations.”
“Thanks to the Isak injury, yet again Slot is forced to fight fires rather than just manage,” laments Ian Copestake. “Unless it is in January, I hope one day he will be able to say, ‘same team as last year.’”
Now that would be a turn up for the Trent.
Sky Sports reckon Curtis Jones will play right-back for Liverpool with Jeremie Frimpong in midfield. This is how they have the formation.
Liverpool (possible 4-2-3-1) Woodman; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo.
“Without looking, how many times have Liverpool let in two or more goals this season?” writes Virgil van Dijk’s Ghost. “As Richie Benaud would say… Chwenty Choo. An astonishing number of times.”
That’s a statgasm and a half.
Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts
It’s a fantastic game to be part of, especially if you win.
[On Alexander Isak] After the season we’ve had, nobody can be surprised that we have more injuries. It wasn’t much, but unfortunately it was too much for him to be able to play today.
Injuries can never be an excuse not to perform; we all have to prove ourselves today.
I think one win would probably be enough [to secure Champions League football]. Let’s take it game by game.
Jamie Jackson
It was two years ago that Jamie Carragher offered Casemiro a rather withering piece of advice: “Leave the football before the football leaves you.” Fast forward to this season and the Brazilian’s record for Manchester United reads: nine goals (second only to Benjamin Sesko), two assists, and 2,417 minutes played in 31 starts from a total of 32 appearances, with 13 games finished, including seven of the past nine.
Consider, too, how the January announcement of Casemiro’s departure from United at the end of the current campaign has led to supporters pleading with the 34-year-old to stay, and that Casemiro is again a midfield first-choice for his national team in the buildup to a World Cup.
As ripostes to a pundit advising you to retire go, Casemiro’s has been emphatic, not to mention revealing of a strong character given Carragher’s words, delivered on Monday Night Football following United’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in May 2024, came at a time when Casemiro did indeed appear to be heading for an Old Trafford exit amid a downturn in his performances.
Eli Junior Kroupi, Bournemouth’s brilliant teenage attacker, has just doubled their lead from the penalty spot.
In the early Premier League game at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth lead Crystal Palace 1-0 after half an hour thanks to an own goal from their former player Jefferson Lerma. If it stays like that, Bournemouth will be sixth in the table.
Team news
The fit-again Matheus Cunha replaces Amad Diallo in the only Manchester United change. Liverpool make two enforced changes: Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch come in for the injured pair of Mo Salah and Alexander Isak.
Liverpool have four central midfielders plus Florian Wirtz in their team; please don’t ask me how they will line up.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1) Lamments; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Subs: Bayindir, Dorgu, Malacia, Mazraoui, Yoro, Mount, Ugarte, Amad, Zirkzee.
Liverpool (possible 4-1-4-1) Woodman; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Wirtz; Gakpo.
Subs: Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Nyoni, Morrison, Ngumoha, Ndiaye, Wright.
Referee Darren England.
That said, as Man Utd v Liverpool games go, this feels a bit mid. Both sides have all but qualified for next season’s Champions League, so there isn’t a huge amount riding on this game. The good news for lovers of anticipation is that this remains the biggest rivalry in English football, and the wider context is only ever part of the story. It’s Man Utd v Liverpool for goodness sake!
Preamble
Preamble? It’s Manchester United v Liverpool: there’s your preamble!
