WELCOME TO OUR coverage of this evening’s FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Liverpool. It’s a second clash of these two great rivals in the space of seven days…what a month it has been.
But here’s hoping today’s Cup tie will be more entertaining than the league draw at Anfield a week ago. (We’re confident it will be – it can hardly be much worse.)
Liverpool desperately need to kick-start their season: they have won just one of their last six games (and that was the FA Cup tie to Aston Villa’s youth side) and haven’t scored in their last four league games.
Not that today augurs well. Liverpool have a poor record at Old Trafford under Klopp – he has never won here – and an even worse record under him in the FA Cup: only once has he taken Liverpool beyond the fourth round.
United, meanwhile, are brimming with confidence, and though the FA Cup might not be highest on their priorities this season, they will relish the chance to further knock Liverpool’s season.
Get in touch – comment below the line or email gavincooney@the42.ie.
Kick off at Old Trafford is at 5pm, and team news follows next…
Team News
Manchester United
Spotted: Donny Van de Beek. The Dutchman gets a rare opportunity to impress from the start for United this evening, starting in a pretty strong team that includes Pogba, Greenwood, Rashford, and Cavani.
Bruno Fernandes drops to the bench, where is joined by David De Gea – Dean Henderson gets a chance to impress in goal.
🚨 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🚨
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 24, 2021
Ole makes 5️⃣ changes to his #MUFC starting XI 💪
🏆 #FACup
Liverpool
Liverpool have instead stuck with their first-choice goalkeeper, meaning Caoimhin Kelleher remains on the bench with Alisson Becker starting. Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino return to the starting line-up, and are the only attackers in the team with Curtis Jones, Gini Wijnaldum, Thiago and James Milner picked behind them.
Joel Matip is out again – seemingly through rest rather than another injury – so Rhys Williams starts.
Here’s how we line up against @ManUtd 👊#MUNLIV | #FACup
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 24, 2021
Does Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have any experience of facing Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup, you ask?
Liverpool have run out of goals, but this isn’t exactly the boldest line-up Klopp could have selected. Perhaps we will see their traditional 4-3-3 with Curtis Jones playing on the left of the front three, or a 4-2-3-1.
Klopp has openly spoken about finding solutions to Liverpool’s ongoing problems – perhaps he will stumble across something that works today.
“It’s one of the most iconic FA Cup ties and it can give you very good momentum and belief, like it did in ’99″, Solskjaer tells the BBC pre-game.
United are doing some rotation today…but there’s still some pretty decent talent on the pitch.
Liverpool are first out, wearing their appalling teal third kit.
United follow shortly after – kick off is only minutes away.
This one will be better than last Sunday’s game. Hopefully.
Craig Pawson is the referee, and a quick reminder that there are no replays in the FA cup this season, so we’ll have a winner at some stage tonight. Even if it takes penalties.
1′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Fast start by Liverpool, with Alexander-Arnold’s cut back finding Wijnaldum, whose rather tame shot is blocked by Lindelof and hoofed clear.
We wondered how Liverpool would set up – seems it’s their standard 4-3-3 with Curtis Jones on the left of the attack.
4′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
United win a corner, as Rhys Williams blocks a cross about to drop for van de Beek. The move began with Salah losing possession to Shaw, and Rashford – rather ominously for Liverpool – skating by Williams with ease.
Liverpool clear the corner.
6′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Rashford has pulled on to the left, and looks lethal when running against Alexander-Arnold and Williams.
This time Rashford cleverly pulls a first-time ball in behind the Liverpool defence, and Alisson does well to sprint out of his box and head the ball out of danger.
United are taking control of this game.
8′ Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Milner cleans Maguire out with a late tackle in midfield, but the referee plays advantage and Milner escapes without a booking.
10′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
This game is livelier than last week’s already!
Fabinho and Thiago get mixed up in midfield, Greenwood pounces and sprints into the box. Rather than pull the ball back for Van de Beek, he shoots from a tight angle and a splayed Alisson blocks the ball with his foot.
Liverpool counter, and at the other end, Henderson does well to divert a fizzed Alexander-Arnold cross away from trouble.
12′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Thiago is exasperated: he tackles McTominay and the ball breaks to set up a Liverpool counter…but is foiled by Pawson’s whistle.
14′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Greenwood fires wide in the penalty area, as Williams’ indecision was caught out by Cavani.
17′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Liverpool keep possession for a while, but they lack penetration until Robertson zips a terrific pass through the United defence for Milner, but Lindelof shuttles across and deals with the danger.
17′ – Man United 0-0 Liverpool
Rashford looks electric: he saunters into the box until he is dispossessed by Alexander-Arnold. The subsequent corner is volleyed goalward by Pogba, but it’s a scruffy connection and it is easy for Alisson.
18′ – GOAL! Man United 0-1 Liverpool (Salah)
And the drought ends!
Liverpool finally attack with some conviction and the result is a classic Liverpool goal.
Firmino drops deep and slides a perfect pass between Shaw and Maguire for Salah, who coolly chips Henderson.
21′ – Man United 0-1 Liverpool
That was a gorgeous goal by Liverpool – and one of such composure that it’s almost 21′ - impossible to think it arrived after such a wretched run in front of goal.
The confidence is flowing now: they swarm Pogba in traditional fashion, and the result is a Jones shot from distance that Henderson keeps hold of.
23′ – Man United 0-1 Liverpool
It’s all Liverpool now, as Firmino is chopped down by McTominay right on the edge of the box.
24′ – Man United 0-1 Liverpool
Alexander-Arnold curls the free-kick tamely over the bar.
26′ – GOAL! Man United 1-1 Liverpool (Greenwood)
Aaaaand out of nothing, United are level!
Pogba wins the ball back on the edge of United’s box, and Rashford lofts a perfect cross-field pass from the touchline for Greenwood, who rifles the ball beyond Alisson!
27′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool almost undone on the counter again!
Rashford is again left in oceans of space behind Alexander-Arnold, he runs at Williams and threads the ball through for van de Beek, but Alisson deflects the ball away.
Salah lofts the opening goal above Dean Henderson.
32 - Man United 1-1 Liverpool
After that fantastic bout of punch and counter-punch, the game has settled down, with Liverpool having the majority of the ball. But United – particularly Rashford – look lethal on the counter attack.
35′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool take a short corner, Thiago lofts the ball to Salah…who loses it, and five seconds later, Thiago fouls Rashford before he gambols clear on goal. Tory ministers have done a better job dealing with Rashford than Liverpool have thus far.
35′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Shaw flights the free-kick into the box and Williams heads the ball over his own crossbar. Shaw stays on corner duties, and Pogba heads over from the penalty spot. He was completely free, and should have done better.
37′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
19 - Mason Greenwood (19 years 115 days) is the youngest Man Utd player to score against Liverpool since Wayne Rooney in January 2005 (19 years 83 days). Nurture. pic.twitter.com/JlIlQan40d
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 24, 2021
39′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Better from Liverpool: Milner side-foots a terrific pass for Robertson, who dinks the ball to the back post and Shaw heads behind for a corner.
McTominay heads the corner clear, and Milner scuffs a volley miles wide.
43′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Fabinho is booked as Liverpool make a hames of playing out from the back. Alisson’s pass is loose, and Fabinho swipes at Greenwood and takes him down on the edge of the box.
Interesting position here for United…
43′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
…Pogba steps up and curls the free-kick well wide of Alisson’s left-hand post.
44′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool are again undone down their right flank: Shaw gets in behind the Liverpool defence and whips a ball across the box that is parried away by Alisson, and Thiago gets in front of the follow-up shot from McTominay.
United have been the better team since equalising.
45′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Rashford is terrorising Liverpool. He skips by Rhys Williams – this is a painful mismatch – he saunters into the box and lays the ball back for Greenwood, who lays it off for Pogba, who sees a whipped shot fly narrowly wide of Alisson’s left-hand post.
HT – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Terrific, see-sawing entertainment, and the game is is balanced for the moment. Both sides have had their moments, but United finished the game in the ascendancy, and it does look like Rashford has the winning of this game on his own.
We’ll be back in a few minutes.
A very good point by Alan Shearer on the Beeb, regarding Liverpool’s being torn asunder by Marcus Rashford on the right flank: Jordan Henderson’s absence is being felt, given he so often does the covering work behind Alexander-Arnold.
Wijnaldum is supposed to be doing that job at the moment, but he’s not been particularly effective at it.
46′ – Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Pogba apologises to Wijnaldum, having clawed him accidentally in the face in fending him off. United, however, have a free-kick…and are promptly penalised themselves once Shaw hoists the ball to the edge of the box.
GOAL! Man United 2-1 Liverpool (Rashford)
United take the lead!
And it is…precisely who you would imagine.
Greenwood arcs a ball through for Rashford, but Williams makes a total hames of trying to clear it and the ball breaks easily for Rashford, who slots coolly beyond Alisson. Terrific finish, but it’s a horrible error by Rhys Williams.
52′ – Man United 2-1 Liverpool
This game has been pretty even bar the enormous mismatch between Rashford and Rhys Williams, so it’s fitting it is on that duel the game has turned.
Williams is beyond eliciting rage from Liverpool fans online, and has now moved on to pity: he really does look out of his depth.
Here’s the goal that gave United the lead.
Rhys Williams makes a mess of it but this is another lovely Manchester United goal, Pogba/Cavani turn it over, Greenwood assist this time for Rashford who finishes brilliantly 👌 #FACup pic.twitter.com/KCyUSkriH6
— Tommy Rooney (@TomasORuanaidh) January 24, 2021
56′ – Man United 2-1 Liverpool
Some promising play by Salah and Firmino on the edge of the box is thwarted by an utterly awful touch by Firmino. Liverpool haven’t really recovered from United’s equaliser.
57′ – Man United 2-1 Liverpool
What a chance for Milner!
Thiago lofts the ball forward, Firmino flocks on and Milner, from six yards out, fires miles over the crossbar!
58′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool (Salah)
And now they are level!
Milner steps up to intercept a Cavani pass, gives the ball to Firmino, and then clever dummies the return pass for Salah, whose shot goes through Henderson’s legs.
Brilliant response by Milner, and Liverpool are back in the game!
60′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
And now Liverpool are on top; this is fantastic entertainment. Thiago wriggles into space in midfield, finds Salah who shuffles the ball right to Alexander-Arnold, and his stinging shot is beaten away by Henderson.
Sadio Mane is on his way into the game soon, too.
61′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Klopp plays his main card: Mane off, and Wijnaldum is off.
Here’s Salah’s equaliser:
Mo at the double ⚽💥#EmiratesFACup @LFC pic.twitter.com/cTSx3gM5Ye
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 24, 2021
66′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Double change for United: Fred and Bruno Fernandes are on; Greenwood and Van de Beek make way.
Van de Beek didn’t make much of an impact, it must be said.
67′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Bis save Henderson! Firmino drops deep to play quarterback and chooses to slip through Salah, who sees his shot blocked by the United goalkeeper.
70′ - Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Wan-Bissaka does superbly at the back post to head the ball clear with Mane lurking. Liverpool’s interplay has zip and confidence again; that was preceded by lovely link-up play involving Alexander-Arnold, Jones and Salah.
Moments later, Mane gets a booking for flying too zealously into a challenge with Fred.
71′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Alisson is briefly alarmed, Paddy Cullen-style, as Fernandes miscues a cross that looked for a moment as if it might sneak under the crossbar. It didn’t, in the end, nestling on the roof of the net.
72′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
More good interchange from Firmino, Alexander-Arnold and Jones ends with Thiago spinning a volley over Henderson’s crossbar.
73′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Liverpool are pressing like the Liverpool of old, with United struggling to prise their way out. They finally do with Fernandes, who misjudges a through ball for Pogba which Fabinho covers.
This really is finely poised, but Liverpool have been terrific since their equaliser and have finally cut off the supply to Rashford.
75′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Salah tests Henderson again, who jitterly gathers at the second attempt. Liverpool’s front three have finally rediscovered some of their rhythm.
77′ – Man United 2-2 Liverpool
Fabinho – who has already been booked – is adjudged to have come through the back of Cavani on the edge of the box. Jermaine Jenas is talking about Cavani using his ‘experience’ – codeword for it being very soft.
Fernandes is interested in the free-kick..
78′ – GOAL! Man United 3-2 Liverpool (Fernandes)
It’s a perfect free-kick by Fernandes, who pings the ball into the far corner beyond Alisson!
The game swings United’s way yet again!
80′ – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
It’s been pretty rare to get an entertaining United/Liverpool game, though the few there have been usually finish 3-3. Liverpool have 10 minutes…
Firmino and Thiago are off for Liverpool; Origi and Shaqiri come on.
83′ – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
Early impact from Shaqiri – he almost picks out Mane in behind, but Wan-Bissaka does well to get a toe to the ball and divert the ball for a corner.
Here’s the Fernandes free-kick that might win the tie for United:
No stopping Bruno Fernandes 🔥#EmiratesFACup @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/gOCxdmJbOi
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 24, 2021
86′ – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
Fernandes does well to block an Alexander-Arnold cross.
Rashford makes way for United, with Anthony Martial on in his place. He goes straight down the tunnel, but isn’t walking too gingerly.
88′ – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
Cavani hits the post! Fred takes the ball to the corner, then swivels back to pass the ball to Fernandes, whose first-time cross lands perfectly on Cavani’s forehead, but the ball bounces back off the post.
That would have sealed it…
90+1 – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
Liverpool have all the ball, but aren’t doing a whole lot with it at the moment.
90+2 – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
Paul Pogba – curiously named man of the match by Jermaine Jenas on the Beeb – scythes down Curtis Jones and is booked.
Liverpool have a free-kick to the left of the penalty area.
90+3 – Man United 3-2 Liverpool
Robertson hoists the ball to the back post for Fabinho, the ball is half-cleared by Pogba to Salah, who meets the ball on the volley and sends it flying wide.
FT: Man United 3-2 Liverpool
A fabulous game that swung this way and that before ultimately settling with United. Liverpool’s goalscoring drought finally ended, but Rhys Williams was exposed as a major weakness at centre-back, but ultimately the game was settled by Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick.
It’s a first win against Liverpool as a manager for Solskjaer, and his side progress. Klopp will be cheered by parts of his side’s display, but it remains utterly mad he hasn’t been allowed to buy an centre-back.
United march on: thanks a lot for following us, and we will have a report and reaction from Old Trafford shortly.
Bye!
Decent game to watch… Liverpool not amazing by any stretch tonight but results like that is how you become champions….fair play to them…it’s their year.
@Billy Big Baws: it’s obviously thier year.. But salah and mane are a disgrace at times, make them very unlikeable players. Cheating When there’s no Need
@Billy Big Baws: oh shut up
@Ross: stop!! Nonsense
@Ross: Yeah but that’s not as bad as capital letters When there’s no Need :)
Epic stuff , no team is gonna play 100% and cruise through 38 league games comfortably, tonight was another uncomfortable one but this team just never gives up and keeps creating chances , begrudge at your peril , to have played 27 and won 26 at this stage of the season is phenomenal , on the back of being European and World champions and on the league run they have created … just appreciate ..
I could care less about results at this stage. Enjoyable game to watch though. End to end. Bobby Firmino got through some amount of work. Does everything right but can’t get a goal at home. Has to be one on the way for him. 3 points in the bag and miles in front
@my name: well done mick
@A: thanks Aido. Best of luck with that Mayo thing
@my name: If you could care less why don’t you? or do you not want to?
@eoin carroll: I’ve just noticed my typo there Eoin, could care less about “performance”. Thanks for pointing that out
@my name: embarrassing there Mick
@A: not half as bad as you forgetting what profile you were signed into
@my name: you couldn’t care less you mean?
@eoin carroll: that’s the one
Even when far from their best, this team keeps on winning. They are well on their way to being the most dominant league winners in the history of English top flight football.
To have equalled the league points tally of United’s treble winning side with 11 games to go is incredible. 4 more wins.
@Seàn Mc: possibly the most dominant winners of every league not just PL!
@Ado Smith: could happen but unlikely, I think PSG hold the record (in Europe anyway) with a 31 point lead. City’s English record of 19 points is definitely achievable though.
On the ball Paul, the live updates didn’t even have the full time score by the time this was up!
4 more thank you
Somebody will be on to say that it was a fluke / lucky / won by VAR. They were far from top of their game – hardly the first time this season – but that’s resilience.
It says a lot about the spirit and never give up attitude that Klopp has instilled in this team that when they losing with 25 minutes to go I was 100% certain of a win. Thanks Fabianski I hope you get a nice pay out if Liverpool do go unbeaten. If Salah, Mane and Firmino play like that against Atletico there will be no chance of a league/CL double.
@Ger Power: need a hug Ger ,aaw poor diddums:)
@Ger Power: it’s just one of those years for Liverpool
We got a glimpse of it last season Just enjoy it
They can’t even loose a coin toss this season
That’s the way it goes I guess
They’d want to defend better against Atletico Madrid that’s for sure. Firmino and Keita were so wasteful it was shocking.
@Ashley Rowland: Europe is not there priority this season
@James Lynch: That statement would hold some water if they were involved in a tight title race. The league is done and dusted and they are in a position where complete focus can shift to the Championz League. It’s only Poil fans that are throwing up that excuse in case they get knocked out by Ath Madrid.
@Pools Punter: haven’t seen many pool fans saying this, in fact he seems to be the first. Europe absolutely is a priority and they will have to do very well to get through the second leg of this tie.
LuckyPool get lucky again
@A: ……and not a Howard Webb in site!
@A: yeah dam var helping Liverpool again tonight… Oh wait.
@A: when you’re the best people always think you’re lucky.
@A: As I’ve said before A it is lucky being a Liverpool supporter and you can be one too. Go on… you know you want to.
@Manbackonboard: u do remember those white suits from 96
@A: Nope, I’m too young.
@A: LOL – You’re a United fan just bitter this LFC team will soon be considered the greatest ever team and so erasing the memory of United in ‘99, the jammiest ever bunch of flukes.
@Manbackonboard: To become a Liverpool supporter I’d need to move to England. No thanks!!
@james dimaggio: I don’t see anyone suggesting you become a Liverpool supporter in this thread? Unless…. no, wait, A, is that you? Oh Dear…
@Hakaman: Interesting statistic, this Liverpool team have now achieved the same points total as Man United’s ’99 team, 79 points with 11 games left to play!
@Roger Paltry: more competitive teams in 99
@A: Man United and Arsenal drew a third of their games (25 in total), Leeds and West Ham finished 4th and 5th. Do you want to have another go at that?
@james dimaggio: Oooops. You messed up there A.
@A: in any sport you make and earn your own luck
@james dimaggio: Liverpool is the capital of Dublin
@A: I remember those white suits very well. It had been six years since Liverpool won the league and the players were all loving stardom and not doing it on the pitch.. (reminds me of the social media hoors at a club who haven’t won the league in 7 years) Took quite a while to get back to the top for Liverpool. Here’s hoping it’s a good 23/24 years before we have to look at a United league win again.
@A: 26 wins out of 27 games. Yep, luck. Good man.
Disjointed performance, although I felt like it was similar to the Villa game back in…eh…long time ago..;-) Their muddlefield was just that…sloppy, slow, sticky…it never pushed on. Glad to see Trent got out of that horror show from last Tuesday…still..a win is a win..resilience, vigilance to the end prize…yeah..3 wins..3 draws in that order I’ll be happy..puts a few records to bed…
Out of Jail
The only thing that will stop Liverpool winning the title is the Corona Virus.It looks like it could be threat.I doubt if its going to get contained in Italy.
Arh the Liverpool of the eighties …. last minute winning goals snd then …….. obscurity. Lightning can’t strike the same spot – can it?
@Nigel Barlow: yes
@Nigel Barlow: the Liverpool of the 80’s, the teams that were preceded by the teams of the 70’s is that what you meant to say?