A point might be okay in the circumstances but there were a few worries for Liverpool in this Premier League 2-2 draw against Man United.
Liverpool 2-2 Man United
Premier League (19) | Anfield
January 5, 2025
Goals: Gakpo 60’, Salah pen 70′; Martinez 50′, Diallo 80′
1. Alexis Mac Allister masterclass
There was a lot of talk on Sky Sports’ commentary about Man United’s midfield looking half-competent for once, but the standout player in the centre of the park was wearing Liverpool red.
Alexis Mac Allister was head and shoulders above his teammates and the opposition as he brought some control and quality to what was at times a fairly frantic and scrappy game.
There was a first-time pass from the left touchline that opened up the pitch to allow one Liverpool attacking move to take shape, and a first-time shot not too long after that tested Andre Onana.
There were a string of similar moments for him throughout the game as he engineered many of Liverpool’s most dangerous attacks.
The Argentine gets something in the statistics column to show for his performance with an assist for Gakpo’s goal, but his general play really stood out.
Bruno Fernandes was named Man of the Match but Mac Allister was at least as good.
2. Second-half surge?
Liverpool under Arne Slot have become known for working their way into games, sometimes slowly, and often in the second half after a fairly uneventful first period.
At times this game felt less like Slot’s Liverpool and more like a throwback to some of the chaos of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Players were sprinting upfield to attack and sprinting back to defend shortly after, but Liverpool were world-class for plenty of that era so can still be effective in such situations.
At times that was the case here. Gakpo was first up, sitting down Matthijs de Ligt then firing his shot home in a typically emphatic fashion.
De Ligt was involved again as he handled the ball to concede a penalty, and Mo Salah stepped up to just about convert as Andre Onana went the right way and perhaps should have saved.
3. TAA AWOL
Sometimes there has been an unfair focus on Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s defensive play, which has actually been decent this season, but there was fair criticism of the Liverpool right-back in this game.
The easiest, almost cliched explanation is that with interest from Real Madrid and a contract expiring at the end of the season, his mind was elsewhere, but sometimes a game just doesn’t suit him defensively and this was one of them.
In the first half, it appeared Man United were targeting the area behind Alexander-Arnold and between him and centre-back Ibrahima Konate who didn’t look match-sharp.
For United’s first goal, Diogo Dalot had sprinted past him and then on receiving the ball as Liverpool looked to play out, Trent passed it straight to a United player. For the second, he and Konate had been dragged out of position.
Trent was eventually replaced by Conor Bradley, but this should have been done earlier in the second half.
Meanwhile, Andy Robertson might be glad Trent takes the limelight in this regard as he wasn’t much better on the other side.
4. A point might be okay
This was a typical derby in that Man United looked much better than they have done all season, turning up for this big rivalry match in what was their most convincing performance under Ruben Amorim even though they have won in some other matches.
The stats show Liverpool had the better of the xG, but United missed two of the three big chances they created and could easily have snatched the win late on had Harry Maguire not booted the ball over the bar.
Alisson was forced to make a couple of really good, key saves to help his side stay at least level.
Taking a point from such a game, when it could easily have been none, isn’t too bad for Liverpool given the circumstances.
But when this happens, it is important that the next game is a win and that next game is against the only team to have defeated Liverpool this season, Nottingham Forest.
5. Cup consolidation
After the breathlessness of this rivalry, there could be more in store in a midweek game against the Premier League’s troubled entertainers Tottenham.
The two-legged tie might make for a different dynamic, but given the way Slot has approached the Champions League, he might be looking to get this game won in the first leg.
An FA Cup tie against Accrington Stanley follows next weekend and these two games should help Slot consolidate his squad as some players return from injury.
With Conor Bradley and Konate both back, and Dominik Szoboszlai only out due to illness, Joe Gomez is the only injured player in the squad currently.
Slot should use these cup games to build match fitness for those that need it, while also keeping his star players sharp – something the new manager and his staff have been good at since arriving.
Liverpool 2-2 Man United
