United Beyond Manchester

Three teenagers started one of the biggest games of the season for the Reds, and they were three of the best players on the field. Willy Kambwala was excellent in the back, Kobbie Mainoo scored a stunning goal, and Alejandro Garnacho was dangerous. With a seemingly lost season coming to an end, Manchester United have a lot to look forward to. We take a look at the match below.

First Half

It was a breathless start, and Manchester United nearly had the first goal through Alejandro Garnacho. Within three minutes, Garnacho rounded Kelleher and finished, but he was fractionally offside, and the goal did not stand. Immediately after the Garnacho offside, Onana made a brilliant save with an outstretched hand to deny Dominik Szoboszlai.

Manchester United had the better of the first ten minutes. The midfield forced Liverpool to turn the ball over, and the Reds had three corners.

After early United pressure, Liverpool settled in and held more possession. In the 18th minute, Andy Robertson created a good chance for Szoboszlai on a cross, but the midfielder’s shot was wide of Onana’s goal. Two minutes later, Robertson had a shot himself from distance that did not threaten Onana.

Liverpool struck first on a corner in the 23rd minute. The initial ball was flicked on from Darwin Nunez on the front post, and an unmarked Luis Diaz finished for the away side. Diaz seemed to peel out of the group in the middle of the box, and no one moved with him.

Liverpool had a break after a giveaway from Mainoo in the 32nd minute, and Andre Onana made a solid save to give Liverpool a corner. The ensuing corner gave Salah another opportunity, and Onana saved in a similar fashion.

After the goal from Luis Diaz, the away side was in control, and United were lucky to not concede again before half-time. Manchester United failed to record a shot on goal in the first half, while Liverpool had 15 shots total. The only positive for United to take into half was that it was only 1-0.

Second Half

Liverpool started dominant in the second half but gave Manchester United a lifeline. Jarell Quansah made a poor back pass, and Bruno Fernandes struck a stunning one-time hit from near the halfway line to level the match at 1. Instead of taking a touch and risking losing the ball or losing an opportunity, Bruno showed his class and caught Kelleher out first time.

Liverpool had an incredible opportunity to reclaim the lead on a breakaway, but Darwin Nunez made the wrong decision and let the Reds off the hook. The away side had a four-on-two break and failed to capitalize on the chance.

Liverpool were wasteful, and it cost them…

In the 67th minute, Kobbie Mainoo produced a world-class finish. The 18-year-old took a touch facing the sideline, swiveled, and curled the ball past a helpless Kelleher to put the Reds up 2-1. It was a brilliant finish for just his second career Premier League goal.

Mohamed Salah had a great chance to put Liverpool on level terms, but he failed to hit the target. Luis Diaz’s initial shot was saved by Onana, and the spill fell to the feet of Salah. Thankfully, the Egyptian forward sent his shot to the top of the stand, and United kept the lead into the final ten minutes.

A lapse in concentration from Aaron Wan-Bissaka gave Liverpool a gift of a penalty in the 81st minute. Wan-Bissaka lunged in unnecessarily, brought down Harvey Elliot, and Salah scored the spot-kick to provide Liverpool with the equalizer.

Manchester United defended well for the remainder of the match and held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw. With United likely out of the Champions League qualification race, forcing rivals Liverpool to drop points feels like a win. After a first half that was dominated by the away side, United fought back and earned a point in a huge game.

Man of the Match

Willy Kambwala stepped up in a major way for United today. He showed pace and instincts and made quality tackles filling in for the other injured center backs. This type of performance can propel his career forward. The stage was not too big for him, and in just his second Premier League start, he wins Man of the Match for me.

Player Ratings

Starting XI
Andre Onana: 6 – Not much he could have done about the two goals. Had a few great saves.
Diogo Dalot: 6 – Solid game.
Harry Maguire: 7 – Showed fire and won everything in the air.
Willy Kambwala: 8 – An immense performance by the 19-year-old in such a huge match.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 5 – Defended well for most of the match, but his lazy tackle gave Liverpool a point.
Kobbie Mainoo: 8 – Showed his class yet again with a stunning finish to put United up. Was one of the best players on the pitch at just 18.
Casemiro: 6 – Better performance than against Chelsea.
Bruno Fernandes: 6 – Responded after a poor first half to score a worldie from near the halfway line.
Rasmus Hojlund: 6 – Received no service, but ran for the team from minute one until the final whistle.
Marcus Rashford: 5 – Still struggling for form.
Alejandro Garnacho: 6 – United’s most dangerous player going forward.

Substitutions:
Antony: 6 – Showed fight and tracked back well.
Mason Mount: 6 – Made a critical tactical foul to stop a dangerous Liverpool attack.
Sofyan Amrabat: 6 – Defended well.

Looking Ahead

Manchester United travel to Bournemouth next week before heading to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City. With no wins in the last three games, United needs a win for confidence before heading into the semi-final.