It took Liverpool a while but they ended up beating Manchester United comfortably thanks to a Xherdan Shaqiri brace from the bench.
Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho locked horns yet again in an important derby. Liverpool vs Manchester United is a fixture which has produced many classics in the past and this game was no different.
Liverpool asserted their dominance early on courtesy of Sadio Mane. Fabinho found him running into space and the Senegalese international finished with great aplomb. However, not long after that, Jesse Lingard capitalised on a mistake from Alisson and the game became more balanced. It was Liverpool who had the game by the scruff of the neck but this goal against the run of play unnerved them.
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United inevitably sat back and tried to hold the point. I mean, they wouldn’t have come to Anfield expecting anything more, especially under Jose Mourinho. Credit where it’s due, the Red Devils did hold Liverpool for some time, however, on came Xherdan Shaqiri in the second half.
Two deflected goals gifted the Swiss international the perfect cameo and gave him a place in the hearts of the Liverpool faithful. He has often been reliable for Jurgen Klopp from the bench, however, this was the kind of input he has been waiting for.
As you can expect, Twitter was on fire throughout the match. This fixture is one of the most universal, with many choosing to share their thoughts (and subtle digs at the opposition) via social media. The tension was high to start off with but as the goals started flying in, the opinions matched. Here’s a more accurate look at how the game panned out…
Ian Wright said what everybody thought about Paul Pogba. Why on earth wasn’t he brought on?!
What a performance from Mane👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I’m so happy for him especially after the difficult past few games he’s had! Great way to bounce back
— sal (@sxlang_) December 16, 2018
Mane was a figure of controversy among the Liverpool fans heading into the match, however, they will all unite in praising the Senegalese for his goal. And rightly so!
There were plenty of positives for Liverpool fans to take from this match. Surely they can’t go the season unbeaten, can they?!
How can you take Mourinho seriously when your best midfielder can’t get a single minute on the pitch when Herrera, Matic, and Fellaini have struggled to string basic passes together? How can you not find space to start your top goal scorer and only bring him on for 12 minutes?
— EiF (@EiFSoccer) December 16, 2018
The midfield which Mourinho opted for was abysmal. That seemed to be the general consensus.
Shock twist: Alisson is human after all
— Kian Long (@KianLSport) December 16, 2018
Alisson has pulled off some incredible saves but it was his mistake which gifted Jesse Lingard his goal. Still, it wasn’t costly by any means.
Tomorrow marks 3 years since Jose Mourinho was sacked from Chelsea. Here's Mourinho’s 3rd season with Man United summary: Martial, Pogba and De Gea want to leave. Rashford and Bailly declined. Smalling renewed. Lukaku making Bebe signing look good.
— Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) December 16, 2018
When you put it like that, it does look REALLY bad.
On a night when Fabinho shines so bright in midfield and Shaqiri is having fun on our own backyard, Red is Liverpool.
— A. Z. (@zikrinayu) December 16, 2018
You gotta trust Klopp for his subs, eh?
Back to top. We go again next week #YNWA 💪
Fabinho and Shaqiri were the standout performers but they would be nowhere without Jurgen Klopp.
What did you make of this match between Liverpool and Manchester United?