A Flurry of Goals and The Seeing Out Of the Game Show the Resilient Reds are Back | Manchester United 2-4 Liverpool | Premier League

Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and a Roberto Firmino brace was enough to see Liverpool pick up just their second win at Old Trafford since 2010 in an enthralling encounter. 

Mohamed Salah’s late breakaway goal was greeted by a huge sigh of relief from those associated with the club after Roberto Firmino’s double either side of half-time fired Liverpool into what felt and looked like a comfortable two-goal lead.

A tactical tweak from Ole Gunnar Solksjaer saw the pendulum swing in the hosts favour with the game still slightly in the balance despite the 3-1 scoreline.

Marcus Rashford raced through a gap between the two Liverpool defenders and squeezed his effort through the legs of Andy Robertson and the far post.

It wasn’t entirely plane sailing for the visitors after Aaron Wan Bissaka ghosted beyond Georginio Wijnaldum and Robertson before finding Bruno Fernandes whose effort was inadvertently thumped home by Nat Phillips.

Despite falling behind to the own goal, eventually awarded to Fernandes, the Reds provided a glimpse of what many have become accustomed to. 

Finally, when results went in their favour and Jurgen Klopp’s side needed to turn up most, they did, albeit after they were forced to spring into action. 

With the 2019-20 Premier Champions under the cosh, the Egyptian King raced away and fired home a very welcome three points at a crucial stage of the season for Liverpool. 

Once again, pre-match preparations were dominated by Manchester United’s protests against the Glazer family with some irrelevant and unwarranted chants directed at Merseyside. Despite the previous protest being welcomed by many for the calls for a change to the hierarchy, it can only feel and emphasise that many had jumped on the bandwagon tonight.

But irrespective of a couple of idiots, Liverpool seemingly emerge from the depths of the five-month despair, not only finding the back of the net when needed on four different occasions but with their backs against the wall, Jurgen Klopp’s side dug their heels in and stood firm before Salah’s 21st Premier League goal of the season sprinkled a bit of class onto a decent display.

READ MORE: 3 Players Liverpool Could Sign From Relegated Teams This Summer

READ MORE: Liverpool Target Aouar Available For €30m This Summer

READ MORE: Van Dijk Ruled Out Of European Championships

Questions could be asked in terms of the officiating tonight. Not just beginning with the fact Anthony Taylor resides within the Greater Manchester region but a number of eyebrow-raising decisions. 

One of the more contentious decisions, which luckily never came back to haunt the Reds, was his decision not to show Scott McTominay two yellow cards in quick succession. The Scot hauled himself into a tackle on Fabinho which rightly saw him noted in the book, but moments later, he lost his footing and seemingly dragged substitute Sadio Mané to the ground which at any other situation, stage of the pitch or game would warrant a caution. 

Eric Bailly was at the centre of the first-half dealings with a handball in the early stages after sliding to block Firmino’s pass across the six-yard box before the Ivorian cleared the ball sending Phillips hurtling through the air, Taylor did point to the spot but with the intervention of VAR and the pitchside monitor he reversed his decision. 

Eric Bailly lunges catching Nat Phillips in Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Manchester United in the Premier League. (© SIPA USA)

The Red Devils did find themselves in front though, a lapse in concentration from the Reds allowed for Wan Bissaka to ghost behind the Liverpool line and find the United skipper who fortunately found themselves in front.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was superb throughout the 90 minutes. The Liverpudlian was the creative spark for the visitors at Old Trafford, his splitting pass created space for Jota to find Firmino who forced the handball incident with Bailly. But once again, with Gareth Southgate looking on, the 23-year-old was dangerous in the attacking third and he was crucial as Liverpool took the lead on the stroke of half-time.

A searching free-kick to the far post saw Firmino peel off the back, leaving Paul Pogba on his backside as he headed home. 

READ MORE: Liverpool Are Front Runners For Signature of Argentinian Star

READ MORE: Jordan Henderson Out For The Season

The one-goal lead quickly became two after the restart. United carelessly gave away possession on three occasions, Alexander-Arnold, again, was at the centre of the play. His strike was parried straight into the path of Firmino who reacted quickest and pounced on the catalogue of errors, chipping over the Englishman. 

Jurgen Klopp’s side could’ve been out of sight by the time the former-Cardiff City manager made the changes that swung the game in the Red Devils favour. Jota rattled the woodwork with the Reds right-back testing the shaky shot-stopper. 

But as Paul Pogba filtered into midfield and Mason Greenwood was introduced, United had their North-West rivals in their sights and shortly after their system changed, the deficit was halved. 

With Phillips sucked out of position and Liverpool stretched, Rashford raced through and bagged his 50th Old Trafford goal.

However, Phillips came to his sides rescue minutes later digging Greenwood’s strike off the line. 

As the nail-biting dying embers dragged on, you can only imagine that the Liverpool contingent started to take their hands away from their eyes and push towards the edge of their seat as Curtis Jones picked Pogba’s pockets and fired Salah through on goal firing into the far corner past Henderson.

His goal not only added to his tally thus intensifying the golden boot race but pushed Klopp’s side to within four points of the Champions League places.

Liverpool, by no means, are back but the positive signs are emerging and it is warming to see the Reds defy expectations and pick up three points at Old Trafford which isn’t typically a happy hunting ground.