The Reds lose their fourth consecutive game. Florian Wirtz initially sits on the bench. Manchester United’s lead is controversial.
Liverpool FC is slipping deeper into crisis. The Reds lost the duel with arch-rivals Manchester United 1-2, suffering their fourth consecutive competitive defeat.
This last happened to them almost eleven years ago. In November 2014, they were still coached by Brendan Rodgers.
Florian Wirtz was substituted in during the second half but couldn’t prevent the defeat either.
United’s lead controversial
The opening goal for United came as early as the second minute.
Amad Diallo set up Bryan Mbeumo, who put the ball past Reds goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili into the net.
However, the awarding of this goal was controversial because during an aerial duel in midfield just before, Liverpool player Alexis Mac Allister was hit in the head and remained down injured.
Should referee Michael Oliver have stopped play for this incident? Expert Shkodran Mustafi said on Sky : “If he saw it, yes. But I believe, by not blowing his whistle, he simply didn’t see it.”
Maguire shocks Liverpool
Football chief Phil McNulty of the BBC wrote: “Liverpool fans were furious that the referee didn’t stop play before Manchester United scored the opening goal.”
However, Mac Allister had been hit in the head by his own teammate Virgil van Dijk’s elbow. Goalscorer Mbeumo was involved in that aerial duel but clearly committed no foul in that situation.
In the second half, Cody Gakpo did equalize for Liverpool, but Harry Maguire sealed the victory for the visitors with a header.
Wirtz initiates equalizer
Wirtz was substituted in during the second half for Conor Bradley (62nd minute). The 23-year-old tried a lot and at least initiated the temporary equalizing goal by setting up Federico Chiesa, who in turn provided the assist for Gakpo.
“Wirtz repeatedly drifted wide because it was impossible to receive the ball in the half-spaces. A: Because there simply was no space. And B: Because three attackers were making runs in behind and two were coming towards him. There was simply far too little space to get everyone involved,” analyzed former world champion Mustafi on Sky .