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Manchester Uniteds Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring his sides’ third goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Sunday, January 24, 2021 (Photo by Martin Rickett / PA Images via Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes’s impressive free kick inflicted more misery on
Liverpool as United manchester progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup with an exciting 3-2 win at Old Tafford on Sunday.
Both teams struggled to create chances in a cautious 0-0 draw when they met in the Premier League last weekend.
But that precaution was not repeated in an open competition that ended Liverpool’s hopes of a first national cup victory with Jurgen Klopp for another season.
The English champions lost a league game at Anfield for the first time in nearly four years to Burnley on Thursday to fall six points behind United at the top of the table.
In response, Klopp named a strong team despite making five changes when Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino returned.
Liverpool’s only goals in their previous five matches came against an Aston Villa youth team in the last round of the FA Cup after Dean Smith’s team was hit by a coronavirus outbreak.
But the shadows of the team that broke into a first league title in 30 years last season were restored even as Klopp’s wait for a first win at Old Trafford continues.
Firmino and Salah combined perfectly for the opener in the 18th minute, when the Brazilian’s pass opened the United defense and the Egyptian ended with a shot on Dean Henderson.
United have a habit of coming from behind to win this season and it only took eight minutes to strike back.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave Fernandes a rare break early on, but still chose a power-packed squad with Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba.
Rashford’s cross pass simply eluded James Milner and Greenwood did not look like an unreliable forward as he passed Alisson Becker for his first goal in 11 games.
Various injuries to center-backs have interrupted Liverpool’s season and Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are expected to miss the rest of the season, while Joel Matip has struggled to stay in shape.
Klopp has been forced to put two midfielders in Jordan Henderson and Fabinho together at the heart of the defense in recent weeks and the performance of 19-year-old Rhys Williams showed why the German has been reluctant to trust his central youth.
Williams failed to cut Greenwood’s pass to Rashford three minutes into the second half and the England international composed himself before stepping over Alisson’s advance.
This time around, United’s momentum was short-lived as Milner should have leveled for Liverpool when he seized a glorious opportunity from close range, but quickly made amends by teeing off Salah to crush home his second just short of the mark. of the hour.
Both coaches turned to their match winners from the bench for the last half hour when Klopp first addressed Sadio Mane before Fernandes made his entry.
Trent Alexander-Arnold stung the palms of Henderson, who later saved Salah twice as Liverpool’s attack began to get back on track.
But it was Fernandes who won the game with a brilliant free-kick 12 minutes from time.
This week will be the first anniversary of the arrival of the Portuguese from Sporting Lisbon who has transformed the fortunes of United.
A year ago, United were 30 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League after having played two more games.
The past seven days have shown that they are now more than a match for their former rivals.
Fernandes’ goal was a worthy winner of a thrilling tie as he used Pogba to discredit Alisson and fired the ball low into the Brazilian’s left corner.
United will meet West Ham in the round of 16 next month.
