Liverpool is feeling the pain that only comes from losing to its biggest rival.
Manchester United defeated Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday at Anfield. Wayne Rooney scored the only goal, which consigned Liverpool to its second loss in three Premier League games in 2016 and gave Manchester United its third win in its last five league games at Anfield.
The race for a top-four finish and a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League added extra significance to the result. Liverpool now sits in ninth place with 31 points after 22 games. Manchester United is in fifth place with 37 points from 22 games.
What happened?
Liverpool played to the level it has shown recently. So did Manchester United. All things pointed toward a level conclusion until Rooney pounced late in the second half.
The Reds and the Red Devils haven’t met the hopes of their respective fan bases this season, but Sunday’s game marked a potential turning point and momentum builder for both sides.
Managers Jurgen Klopp and Louis van Gaal opted largely for consistency with their lineup selections. Van Gaal declined to change the starting lineup he used in Tuesday’s draw with Newcastle. Klopp opted for Lucas Leiva and dropped Jordon Ibe to the bench as his sole alteration to the team that started in Wednesday’s draw with Arsenal.
Viewers might have been expecting a thriller to match the midweek games. More expectations went unfulfilled.
Liverpool firmly controlled the first half, thanks to its superior energy, focus and tactical clarity of its approach. Manchester United might have thrown Liverpool off its game plan during a feisty opening 15 minutes, but Lucas’ cool head prevented him from playing into Marouane Fellaini’s proactive early behavior.
The opening fire eased, and Liverpool was the better team on balance of play. Unfortunately, the Reds’ were far from their creative best, and Adam Lallana, James Milner and Jordan Henderson spurned their few quality chances.
Liverpool wanted more from its first-half performance, but Manchester United must have been content at halftime to be on level, goal-less terms. Manchester United needed 55 minutes to mount a decent passage of attacking play, as most of its efforts ultimately demonstrated its own lack of quality and Liverpool’s defensive resolve.
As Manchester United slowly ascended in the second half, Liverpool remained a threat. David de Gea denied Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and Roberto Firmino from scoring with a trio of superb saves, and Mamadou Sakho failed to direct James Milner’s cross on target with a header.
The game appeared headed for a goal-less and mediocre conclusion, but Manchester United in the 78th minute authored one final plot twist. Fellaini started the fateful sequence by heading a corner kick off the crossbar. The rebound fell to Rooney, who powerfully shot past Simon Mignolet from close range and a tight angle.
Liverpool increased the pressure as it searched for a game-tying goal that never came. But Klopp’s substitutes, Jordon Ibe and Christian Benteke, failed to swing the game back into Liverpool’s favor in their 15- and 10-minute outings, respectively.
Key moment
Rooney’s goal gaved Manchester United bragging rights.
Telling statistics
Rooney wasn’t particularly active, dangerous or impactive before he scored but the Manchester United captain needed only a moment to make a decisive contribution.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s current nemesis struck again.
Up next
Liverpool hosts Exeter City on Wednesday at Anfield in a replay of their FA Cup third-round clash. Liverpool then travels to Norwich City for a Premier League game on Saturday at Carrow Road.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@premierleague
