Man United 2-2 Liverpool: Player Ratings

Liverpool only have themselves to blame (again) after spurning a shed-load of chances to put Manchester United away, ultimately needing a late penalty to claim a 2-2 draw which leaves us second.

Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool

Premier League (31), Old Trafford
April 7, 2024

Goals: Fernandes 50′, Mainoo 66′; Diaz 22′, Salah pen 84′

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Caoimhin Kelleher – 7 (out of 10)

Faced precisely zero shots with an xG of 0.0 in the first half. Made a few nice roll-outs but that was about it.

And then he was beaten, out of nothing, from miles out (well, 50 yards) – zero he could do about that and just as well he didn’t make the save given he was a yard out the box.

Great claw-away soon after but yet again had no chance when Mainoo curled one top corner – let down by his defenders not doing their job, really. Saved a last-minute shot low to his left.

Conor Bradley – 6

Booked very early on for a sliding tackle on Rashford but managed his defensive approach thereafter for the first half. Wasn’t much of a factor for the first 45 going forward, until a good press and pass just before the break teed up Diaz and then he saw a shot blocked moments later.

Jarell Quansah – 6

An error in possession early on which he immediately made up for by making Bruno Fernandes look like a schoolboy. A couple of really good interceptions in the remainder of the first half continued his good form, making a mockery of this being his rookie campaign once again.

And then, the reminder that he is a youngster, that mistakes will happen – and boy, was his punished, from 50 yards out no less.

Recovered well, in fairness, and hopefully takes the learning experience he needs to from it: never drop concentration at all.

Virgil van Dijk – 8

It really does look unfair at times when Van Dijk runs across to front up a forward who momentarily looked like he was in on goal. Rasmus Hojlund was his latest victim partway through the first half, the captain eating up the ground to close him down, shuffle him outside the box and extinguish any danger.

Won a few aerials, intercepted a few through-balls, all good Virgil things.

Andy Robertson – 6

Looked somewhere back to his best in the first half with some galloping overlaps and clever cut-backs, not just wildly delivering from wide but producing perfect decisions to find runners attacking the box.

Maybe tired a little after the restart and didn’t have quite so much impact as the game wore on but still a decent showing.

Wataru Endo – 6

Both a decent game and a non-eventful one – this was pretty much the performance you want from your defensive midfielder when you’re the better team and have total control of the game, with the expectation then that the forwards and centre-backs do their jobs accordingly.

That part didn’t quite happen.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 6

A great run gave him a fantastic early chance which was well saved in fairness, then pinged another over the bar and slid a third wide – the big Reds threat in the opening quarter of the game but really should have scored one of them.

Despite a few really promising surges forward from deep in the second half, with United gifting space time after time, none quite ended in the perfect pass or clearest chances and the Hungarian faded significantly.

Alexis Mac Allister – 8 – Man of the match

Was very quiet for the opening two minutes or so but we’ll forgive him that, as he quickly became the best player on the park for most of the first half.

We’ve become accustomed to that being the case recently but sadly he didn’t have a 30-yard thunderbolt in his laces on this occasion.

Mohamed Salah – 5

Dangerous as an outlet in the first few minutes but his shots were tame early on, particularly a first-time strike which flew way over after a five-man counter-attack past the half-hour mark.

The second half was more frustrating overall though, as he was unable to hold up play, combine in the box or get clean efforts away – but he did then stroke away his penalty to level up matters.

He now has 11 in the Premier League against this opponent – more than anyone, ever. Still should have scored a winner later on though and needs to rediscover his form quickly.

Darwin Nunez – 6

Was fairly quiet in the opening exchanges other than one pass he couldn’t quite make to free Diaz – but a towering header off a corner assisted the same teammate midway through the first half.

Curled a fine effort just over from the edge of the box and led a few good counters, but should have teed up Szoboszlai shortly after 1-1.

Luis Diaz – 7

Really well-executed half volley on the spin to lash home the opening goal, but he should have had an assist straight after too – a pass to Salah was just a touch behind him with the Egyptian otherwise in on goal.

Non-stop work rate as usual and made several decent runs with the ball to stretch the game but never quite found himself with a clear sight of goal again. Chopped down several times.

 

Substitutes

Curtis Jones (on for Szoboszlai, 65′) – 6 – Helped regain control and a measure of sensible play. Booked for a challenge to stop a counter.

Joe Gomez (on for Bradley, 65′) – 6 – Pretty solid all-around and had a customary pointless shot which was never going in.

Cody Gakpo (on for Nunez, 68′) – 6 – Overhit a few passes then started surging through four tackles at once. Some consistency, Cody!

Harvey Elliott (on for Endo, 68′) – 8 – Excellent off the bench again. Won the penalty, brought energy and balance, good combination play.

Subs not used: Adrian, Konate, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Danns

 

Jurgen Klopp – 8

The boss went almost as full strength as he was able to and was rewarded with a dominant first 45 minutes, but as has too often been the case this term, the team wasn’t as clinical as it had to be, despite creating a real glut of good chances.

Must have been fuming at 1-1, not with the mistake itself but with the fact we’d allowed it to matter, after 15 shots to zero by half time and another couple taken after the restart.

But if he was irritated then, it was nothing compared to when we went 2-1 down. Klopp was absolutely raging at several players, then spent the next 10 minutes exploding at a lack of possession, a lack of compactness, a lack of brain power on the pitch to stop forcing the issue unnecessarily. Decisive subs followed.

Got enough of a reaction to snare a point but for goodness sake, we should smash these every time and yet fall short for an absurd number of reasons. Profligacy, which Klopp can do little about.

Players let him down.