MANCHESTER, England — Kobbie Mainoo struck a late winner to seal a 3-2 Premier League victory for Manchester United against Liverpool at Old Trafford and confirm UEFA Champions League qualification for Michael Carrick’s team.
Having built a 2-0 halftime lead with goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, United threw away their advantage with Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo hauling Liverpool level early in the second half.
Outgoing champions Liverpool looked set to take the lead and complete a stunning fightback, but Mainoo’s 77th-minute goal restored United’s advantage and secured the three points.
While United can now look forward to a return to the Champions League after two seasons away, Liverpool still have work to do, with AFC Bournemouth closing the gap to a top-five spot to six points after their win against Crystal Palace earlier Sunday. — Mark Ogden
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United are back in the Champions League
United only needed a point to be sure of Champions League qualification and they sealed it with all three against Liverpool. It caps a remarkable turnaround since Carrick was appointed caretaker boss in January, with the 44-year-old winning 10 of his 14 games in charge to guarantee a top-five finish with three matches to spare.
He stressed after Monday’s win over Brentford that he wouldn’t “over-celebrate” the achievement, but he will know deep down how big a step this is. Aside from the prestige of playing in Europe’s top club competition, a place in the Champions League does wonders for the balance sheet and helps when you’re looking to recruit new players.
It’s a matter for another day, but whoever is in charge of United next season will have to navigate a much more complicated campaign. The squad will need to grow to cope with the extra games, and more quality is needed in order to compete with Europe’s elite.
Still, United would much rather be in than out, and they can breathe a little more easily now that their place is confirmed. — Rob Dawson
Liverpool still sweating on Champions League spot
Liverpool coach Arne Slot will look back at his team’s performance at Old Trafford and regard it as 90 minutes that encapsulated their season.
They were a defensive shambles in the first half and a team that didn’t put in the work to cover the ground and stop their opponents. But for large parts of the second half, Liverpool looked unstoppable and were breathtaking on the counterattack, especially with Szoboszlai producing a high-energy performance.
Yet typically for their season, Liverpool failed to close the game out. Despite Liverpool canceling out United’s early 2-0 lead, they lost the match by conceding late with Mainoo winning the game for Carrick’s team.
Liverpool were without several key players due to injury, and their lack of depth was exposed, but they still did enough to get more from the game. Although they are six points clear of sixth-placed Bournemouth with three games to go, a Champions League spot is still not secure for Slot and his players.
Liverpool should have enough to get over the line, but they have three difficult games to play — Chelsea at home, Aston Villa away and Brentford at home — so there are no guarantees. And if they fail to seal a top-five spot from here, it will place a big question mark over Slot’s future as coach. — Ogden
Mainoo marks new contract with winning goal
What a week it has been for Kobbie Mainoo. The United midfielder signed a new contract on Thursday to commit himself to the club until 2031, and he ended it by netting the winning goal in a thriller against Liverpool. The 21-year-old was outstanding in midfield alongside Casemiro and showed just why he has become an indispensable part of the side since Ruben Amorim was fired in January.
Mainoo didn’t start a single league game under Amorim this season, and he had fallen so far out of the picture that it seemed a move from United would be inevitable this summer. But the Manchester-born youngster has not only secured his Old Trafford future under Carrick, he has also worked himself back into the England squad and now looks set to be part of the Three Lions’ FIFA World Cup party.
With every performance for United, Mainoo raises more questions as to why Amorim failed to see his ability to both win the ball and create. And against Liverpool, he showed he can score too by getting on the scoresheet for the first time in 50 Premier League games. Mainoo has a big future in the game, and he will also be a central figure if United are to challenge for major honors again. — Ogden
Cunha becoming United’s man for the big games
Cunha missed the win over Brentford through injury, but Carrick wasted no time in throwing him back in the team against Liverpool. It paid off.
The Brazil international scored in the sixth minute after his own effort from the edge of the penalty area rebounded back to him. Cunha has developed a habit of scoring in big games. After finding the net against Arsenal and Chelsea — both away from home — he added Liverpool to his list.
It was his ninth league goal of the season, and if he can reach double figures before it ends, it would represent a more than respectable return in his first year as a United player. The £62.5 million fee paid to Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer already looks like good business.
The recruitment drive which brought Cunha to the club along with Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo and Sesko has largely been successful. Sesko’s goal to put United 2-0 up was his ninth in the Premier League since Amorim left.
United need another good transfer window this summer to ensure they take another step forward. — Dawson
Liverpool facing another big summer of transfers
Liverpool spent close to £450 million last summer, and while it’s unlikely that they’ll reach that number again, they’re still in need of new players.
Arne Slot — if he keeps his job — will hope that Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will be better next season. But even if they are, Liverpool still need a winger to replace Mohamed Salah, as well as at least one central midfielder and another fullback.
Salah and Andy Robertson have already indicated they’re leaving, and there will be question marks about others, including Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister.
After winning the title last season, club bosses will want to see the team challenging again with Arsenal and Manchester City. They’ve looked way off that level for most of this season, and it will take plenty of money spent well over the summer to push them back into contention. — Dawson
United extend incredible home record
Mainoo’s late goal sealed victory for United against their traditional rivals and confirmed Champions League qualification, but it also banished any doubt over the team holding onto a remarkable Old Trafford record.
Going into this game, United had gone 398 home league games without suffering a defeat when leading at halftime. Incredibly, United had won 363 and drew 35 of their games when leading at halftime at Old Trafford — a run that stretches back to a 2-1 defeat against Ipswich Town in May 1984.
But despite racing into a 2-0 halftime lead with goals from Cunha and Sesko, United were pinned back to 2-2 following goals from Szoboszlai and Gakpo inside the opening 15 minutes of the second half.
United’s proud 42-year record looked vulnerable as Liverpool dominated and looked for a third goal. But after weathering the storm, Carrick’s side sealed victory — and kept their record intact — when Mainoo scored his winning goal. — Ogden
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