Man Utd 3-2 Liverpool: Mainoo decides Old Trafford thriller as MU seal top-5 spot, Cunha & Sesko net

Kobbie Mainoo scored the winner as Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford to secure Champions League qualification for next season. 

Match Report

Following Bournemouth's 3-0 win over Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday, the Red Devils needed one point to be certain of finishing in the Premier League's top five.

It looked as though they would take all three comfortably after a lightning start had them 2-0 up inside 14 minutes. Matheus Cunha's strike deflected in off Alexis Mac Allister, then Freddie Woodman was unfortunate to see the ball bounce in off Benjamin Sesko after he got a hand to Bruno Fernandes' header across goal.

Fernandes passed up a good chance to put United 3-0 up before half-time, but Michael Carrick's team then lost control of the contest within 11 minutes of the restart. 

Dominik Szoboszlai intercepted Amad Diallo's loose pass and carried the ball from deep before finishing across Senne Lammens, who then gifted Liverpool their equaliser.

Mac Allister latched onto the goalkeeper's loose pass and found Szoboszlai, who immediately teed up Cody Gakpo for a first-time finish.

Lammens atoned by preventing an own goal from Luke Shaw, and United made the most of that reprieve when Mac Allister's weak clearance fell to Mainoo in the 77th minute.

The midfielder, who signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford earlier this week, confidently placed a first-time effort into the bottom-left corner, as United guaranteed their place among Europe's elite for next season.

Liverpool still need a maximum of four points to join them in clinching a top-five finish, with Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford their final three opponents.

Carrick has won eight of his nine home Premier League games as United manager (L1), including his previous interim spell in 2021. 

He is only the sixth manager – and the first from England – to win eight or more of his first nine home matches in the competition, and the first since Antonio Conte with Chelsea in 2016-17 (also 8/9).

After 14 minutes, it was the earliest they had ever gone 2-0 up in a Premier League match against Liverpool (previous fastest was 18 minutes, in September 1999). It was also the earliest the Reds had been 2-0 down in any Premier League game since February 2023 against Wolves (12 minutes).

Arne Slot's team fought back to 2-2 and, at one point, United's remarkable run of not losing a home league game when leading at half-time (which now stands at 399 matches) was under threat.

But Mainoo's first Premier League goal in 718 days (versus Newcastle United in May 2024) clinched the victory, sealing United's first Premier League double over Liverpool since 2015-16.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

2' Sesko almost finds himself in a very promising position, but he is flagged offside

4' Mbeumo clips a neat ball into the box for Sesko, but he can't get on the end of the pass

6' GOAL! Cunha gets to the rebound and fires a great shot into the net! Man Utd 1-0 Liverpool

6' Sesko takes an effort from a close range but it takes a deflection and goes wide

8' Gakpo sends his header wide, but he is ruled offside

14' GOAL! Bruno heads the ball to Sesko who knocks the ball in with his body! Man Utd 2-0 Liverpool

18' Sesko gets the ball from a rebound and showcasts some nice moves to get rid of the defenders

22' Sesko is pushed down by Konate from behind, and he falls down and hits the nearby billboard

23' Gakpo strikes from the edge of the box, but it goes wide

27' Bruno volleys the ball towards the net, but his effort is just wide

28' Wirtz receives a pass and cuts inside, but his following effort goes wide

30' Szoboszlai brings down Casemiro, and the Brazilian is lying painfully

34' Wirtz seems to get injured, but he is alright after some checking

36' Frimpong is down inside the box and the ref stops the game

41' The shot by Gravenberch from the edge of the box low towards the goal and is easily saved

42' Mbeumo sends a long through pass for Sesko but he didn't get to the end of it

44' Sesko strikes the ball towards the middle of the goal and the keeper makes an easy save

45' Wirtz shoots the ball towards goal, but his effort is blocked by Maguire

46' Mbeumo gets the rebound from VVD's header and brusts into the box, but the ball is cleared

47' GOAL! Szoboszlai weaves his way past opponents and unleashes a cool effort in! Man Utd 2-1 Liverpool

47' Casemiro gets to a cross and shots, but he is ruled offside

49' Yellow Card! Luke Shaw booked as he slips and tackles his opponent down

53' Mbeumo latches onto a good pass inside the box and shoots, but the effort deflects off the post

54' Wirtz strikes the ball from outside the box after a nice team work , but his effort goes wide

56' Big Mistake from Lammens! Gakpo takes advantage of the error & equalizes! Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool

58' Frimpong is down under a challenge, but the ref takes no action

60' Andrew Robertson is replaced by Milos Kerkez

63' Kerkez provides a crucial tackle to stop Mbeumo's effort

68' Szoboszlai sends the free kick into the box, but the close range effor is denied by the keeper

75' Yellow Card! Curtis Jones booked

77' GOAL! Mainoo picks up the ball from a rebound & strikes a shot into the net! Man Utd 3-2 Liverpool

81' Yellow Card! Bruno Fernandes booked as he tackles down Szoboszlai

81' Dorgu receives a pass inside the box but the ball is cleared before he can take a shot

82' Ngumoha runs onto the ball and hits a thunderbolt of a shot at goal, but sends it narrowly wide

Line-ups

Man Utd XI: Casemiro, Maguire, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens, Benjamin Sesko, Mainoo, Ayden Heaven

Subs: Mount, Mazraoui, Altay Bayındır, Ugarte, Malacia, Zirkzee, Amad Diallo Traore, Yoro, Patrick Dorgu

Liverpool XI: Van Dijk, Robertson, Freddie Woodman, Konate, Gakpo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Gravenberch, Jeremie Frimpong, Wirtz

Subs: Joe Gomez, Chiesa, Milos Kerkez, Ármin Pécsi, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha, Will Wright, Mor Talla Ndiaye