Half-time reading: Paul Doyle’s report from Villa v Everton!
Hugh Molloy isn’t pleased with Pogba: “Gives away the free-kick needlessly then loses his man, Firmino, who scores. Such a frustrating player.”
United went ahead through Phillips’ own goal but, from the midway point in the half, Liverpool seized control. They had a penalty denied but then levelled through Jota and now Firmino, right on the whistle, has put them ahead with a potentially massive goal!
As you’d expect, Alexander-Arnold whips it in from the flank on a sixpence. Firmino ghosts around the back, beyond Pogba, and bullets his header past Henderson from a matter of yards!
Liverpool lead at Old Trafford. Photograph: Dave Thompson/Reuters
45+3 min: Fernandes looks OK. Liverpool now have a fairly dangerous-looking free-kick on the right and ...
Trent Alexander-Arnold gets ready. Photograph: Michael Regan/AFP/Getty Images
45+1 min: Pogba gets another bit of space but a tame shot is cleared. There’ll be a stoppage as Fernandes is down, seemingly having picked up a knock while trying to smash the loose ball from that effort towards goal.
44 min: The quiet Rashford tries to pick a path through, but is dispossessed. United are trying to wrest back some initiative before the break.
43 min: On Jota, Patrick Crumlish emails –
“I know the focus has been on the centre-back injuries, especially Virgil, but I feel top four would have been wrapped up long ago for Liverpool if Jota hadn’t been injured in what was a complete dead rubber against Midtyjlland. Needed someone to score one or two goals in those 1-0 defeats, would be a very different season.”
41 min: Much better though, as Pogba tricks through into the inside-left side of the area and lashes a shot that skims the side netting.
40 min: United won’t be displeased to go in at 1-1, I reckon. Liverpool have controlled this from the moment I said the hosts looked physically dominant ...
38 min: I make that Jota’s ninth league goal for Liverpool in 18 appearances, a third of which have come from the bench. He’s been superb when he’s played.
36 min:Liverpool come again immediately and win another corner. This one is cleared more resolutely.
A deserved leveller! Jota improvises delightfully to flick Phillips’ shot past Henderson after United get bogged down in their own box following that corner. Game on here!
Liverpool with a well-deserved leveller. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/NMC Pool/The Guardian
Liverpool equalise! Photograph: Getty Images
34 min: Ooh, Henderson flips Jota’s fierce volley over the bar after the forward had cleverly teed himself up from a Robertson pass. Henderson then half-clears the corner, Salah has an effort blocked, United still can’t clear and ...
32 min: Pogba loops a header across goal but wide. Conceding another now would be sickening for Liverpool. United have not especially looked like adding to the opener.
30 min: We’ve seen a few of those awarded by the slow-mos recently, where someone clears the ball and makes contact in following through. This one didn’t seem a pen to me and this time the slow mo was right.
Tierney runs over to his screen and, to Klopp’s disgust, cancels the award. Bailly made contact with the ball first but did follow through and down Phillips. Personally I think the ref was right.
No, says the ref. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
It’s swung in from the right, an initial volley is blocked, but Phillips seizes on the loose ball ... Bailly clips him, and a spot kick is given! Paul Tierney will review this on VAR though.
Penalty? Photograph: Getty Images
25 min: What a shame there are no fans in the ground (with emphasis on *in*). This fixture shouldn’t be played behind closed doors. What a fillip that we should be getting decent numbers of supporters back inside grounds from next week – I can’t wait. Big testament to the work of many people in slowing the pandemic: I had my first Pfizer jab today as it happens, thank you to our wonderful, indispensable NHS.
24 min: Henderson is out very well to stop Jota nicking a beautifully weighted Alexander-Arnold delivery past him.
22 min: United look physically strong today, I’d say that, and they’re dominating in that area. Wouldn’t have been the case if many of these guys had faced Leicester.
20 min: “On that subject, I also would have liked to see significant point deductions for all the ESL signatories. Give Leicester another title for the ages and let there be fit punishment for that distinctly anti-competitive act,” writes Matt Richman.
Signs Liverpool are getting a few things together here but they haven’t really exposed United since that early Firmino sight.
18 min: Getting quite a lot of pro-points deduction emails actually, off the back of Geoff Saunders’ missive. And quite a lot of anti. It’s a 50/50 split I’d say, which is closer than I’d expected.
16 min: “I suspect OGS has won over a lot of Man Utd fans with his team selections this week,” emails Tim Smith. Am I right that most Man Utd fans would rather hand the title to Man City than have Liverpool qualify for Champions League?”
As we speak, Liverpool press but Robertson crosses too high for Jota.
14 min: McTominay blocks a shot from the jinking Salah. It’s a good, open start here.
John Barry(@johnjbarry)
@NickAmes82 Having your arm underneath you like that is considered a 'natural position' when sliding. It doesn't matter if it hit a different body part first.
13 min: What a big goal that could prove to be. Did Phillips really need to stick his leg out there? I guess he couldn’t see whether Alisson had the shot covered, plus the flight of the ball was hard to judge. Either way, it’s given Liverpool a mountain to climb already.
Wan-Bissaka gets to the byline, underlapping onto a Rahsford pass. He lays back to Fernandes, whose outside-of-the-foot shot may or may not be on target ... before it’s sent flying into the opposite corner by the desperate, outstretched leg of Phillips!
Bruno Fernandes celebrates the opener. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images
That’s going in. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/NMC Pool/The Guardian
8 min: “It is not much use saying ‘they kick left to right’ in text commentary. We can’t see from which side you’re looking at it from,” complains Cillian.
Oh, OK, I thought it might help you imagine as if watching on telly. But you guys are the boss.
5 min: Bizarre from Alisson, who presents the ball straight to Cavani and is fortunate the striker drags his shot wide as he scurries back towards goal!
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