Liverpool ended the weekend tied on points with league leaders Arsenal after Mohamed Salah’s late penalty kick equalized the score in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday.
In the 84th minute, Salah scored his sixth league goal at Old Trafford, surpassing Steven Gerrard’s five goals, becoming him the most successful visiting player in league history.
Liverpool and Arsenal are tied for the championship with seven games left, and Mikel Arteta’s club is ahead on goal differential. Both teams have 71 points. United is in sixth place with 49 points, while reigning champions Manchester City are third with 70 points.
“It seems like a defeat; we are to blame once more,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said to the BBC. “We had so many chances and we should finish the game off.”
In the 23rd minute, Luis Díaz gave Liverpool a lead when Dominik Szoboszlai swung in a corner, which Darwin Núñez headed to the unmarked winger, who scored a close-range volley.
However, in the 50th minute, Bruno Fernandes scored a spectacular goal—his 50th league goal for United—with their first attempt on goal. He did this by latching onto a wayward pass from Liverpool and lobbing the ball past goalie Caoimhín Kelleher from the center circle.
In the 67th minute, Kobbie Mainoo sent a rocket from just inside the 18-yard box into the far top corner, sending the Old Trafford crowd into a frenzy.
Since Cesc Fabregas scored a league goal for Arsenal against Liverpool in 2005, Mainoo is the only 18-year-old to do it. The ecstatic youngster celebrated by running to the corner flag and giving a salute to the supporters.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to score my first Old Trafford goal and to do it in this fixture was even more special,” Mainoo said to Sky Sports.
“The primary issue is that we failed to secure the three points. In my opinion, our performance in the second half was excellent. We can win the game if we correct the little faults that the boys committed.”
Harvey Elliott was brought down in the box, and Liverpool was given the penalty.
Erik ten Hag’s squad defeated Liverpool 4-3 at home in the FA Cup quarterfinals last month, marking the second time in recent weeks that they had dealt a blow to the Premier League.
However, United had conceded late goals in two of their previous games—a 1-1 draw at Brentford and a 4-3 defeat at Chelsea—for the third straight game.
“Very conflicted feelings,” Ten Hag said. “On one side I am disappointed that we have dropped seven points in one week after being in winning positions, but we have to blame ourselves for making stupid mistakes.”Conversely, I feel a great sense of pride. You can see our progress and the incredible potential of our team.
This was the first league game that Liverpool had lost whilst leading since they played Brighton in October.
“It’s obvious that we should have won the game,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said to Sky Sports. “In the first half, we ought to have scored more goals. I think we have more of a point now than we had before. That is the way it is; they put in an additional shift.”There aren’t many games at home left. The final league champion should be a deserving squad. I have no problem with us competing in the race.”
With 28 shots to the home team’s nine, Liverpool outpossessed them with 62.1% of the possession. For the first time since April2022, when they also faced Liverpool, they prevented United from having a single shot on goal in the first half of a league game.
Alejandro Garnacho’s strike in the second minute temporarily sent the United supporters to their feet, but it was ruled offside.
Since their meeting with Liverpool in the Premier League last season, United had only won once in their previous 12 games.
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Liverpool loses out on a top spot following a draw with Manchester United.
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