Liverpool boss Arne Slot has named a Manchester United star whom his players simply had no answer for during Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford.
United beat Liverpool
Kobbie Mainoo’s 77th-minute winner not only secured all three points for United against their bitter rivals but also confirmed the team’s place in next season’s Champions League.
United started brightly, breaking the deadlock inside six minutes. Matheus Cunha drove a stunning shot from the edge of the area past Freddie Woodman, after his initial attempt was blocked.
Benjamin Sesko doubled the Red Devils’ advantage after Woodman bounced Bruno Fernandes’ header off his thigh. Sesko bundled it home from a couple of yards out for his 11th Premier League goal of the campaign.
It looked like United were headed for a comfortable victory until Amad’s mistake was punished by Dominik Szoboszlai to halve the deficit. Senne Lammens then turned over possession while trying to play out from the back, allowing a gleeful Cody Gakpo to turn it in from close range and restore parity.
But Mainoo had the last laugh, sprinting onto a clearance and firing the ball into the back of the net to cap off a memorable masterclass.
While he was denied an assist for Sesko’s goal, Fernandes was as influential as ever and he was pinpointed by Slot as someone who “hurt” Liverpool, especially in transitions.
Slot praise
The Liverpool boss said, “We weren’t able to control their strengths. We were aware of them – set-pieces and counter-attack. You have to know where to lose the ball if you play against United. They are really strong when they play into the middle.”
“They have so many fast players, Bruno Fernandes to hurt you in transition and that’s exactly what happened with the second goal.”
Slot added about his side’s woes this season, woes that United only deepened, “That is what happens. We were 2-0 down, came back in the second-half to 2-2 and then we shut off and immediately conceded the goal. I don’t think anyone expected us to lose that game after a 2-2.”
“Or maybe you do after the whole of our season. As I’ve shown so many times this season, when we are playing well or we think we are able to win it, we switch off. We had a lot of ball possession, one of their strengths is also defending.”
“I tried to play a bit more on both sides with the wingers. We went a bit too much for the middle in the first-half where they can counter attack you. The same issues keep coming back which is not a huge surprise as you don’t have long to fix it during the season.”
United are next in action on Saturday when they go away to Sunderland.
Featured image by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
