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MANCHESTER, England – Simply put, Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool earned them the right to play West Ham in the fifth round of the FA Cup, but it could end up meaning much more.
There were no points on offer or positions at stake, but during a season in which United have positioned themselves in a race for the Premier League title for the first time since 2013, victories like this are, to say the least, a psychological problem. momentum that also maintain valuable momentum.
Twenty-two years after the day substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored a late goal to seal a United comeback that beat Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round, the now-manager watched substitute Bruno Fernandes score a late goal to seal a comeback by United who beat Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
In 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team would not lose again on their way to a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble. This United team is unlikely to match that kind of streak in the next four months, even if They weren’t out of the European Cup yet, but Solskjaer believes that certain results can boost a group, even in January, and this is that kind of feeling.
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Behind Mohamed Salah’s goal in the 18th minute, Mason Greenwood leveled before the break and Marcus Rashford put United in front three minutes after the break, only for Salah to make it 2-2 just before the hour.
Liverpool seemed more likely to score again and Salah was denied his hat trick by Dean Henderson’s save, but Bruno Fernandes followed his intro from the bench to score with a 20-yard free throw with 12 minutes to go. Salah fired wide with a chance to force extra time and United held the pass.
For the first time since a March 2020 win over Manchester City, Solskjaer’s side has overcome one of England’s established “big six” – a major hurdle to overcome before the second half of the league season. during which they will play for City. Tottenham, Chelsea and, next Saturday, Arsenal. Liverpool also visits Old Trafford.
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“It’s great to win games over last year’s champions, a fantastic team,” said Solskjaer. “We play on our terms, we find a way that the players believe in and we are getting stronger and stronger.
“Look at the difference with six months ago,” he added. “You can’t take big steps at the same time, but we are improving and winning tight matches. Morale and confidence are very good.”
Jurgen Klopp lined up a strong squad, with Salah, Roberto Firmino, Thiago, Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson choosing early on, but the Liverpool manager is unlikely to shed too many tears for a competition that has only come. . the fifth round once.
Klopp may be happy that attacking Liverpool returned against United and Salah scored his first goals at Old Trafford, but a bigger concern is the trip to Tottenham on Thursday; Liverpool haven’t won or scored in the league for a month and that needs to be remedied quickly if they are to make a true title defense.
“It’s not what we wanted, so it’s frustrating,” Klopp said. “We took many steps in the right direction. The beginning of the game was good, we wanted to change luck and we scored twice and that too. Okay, but they scored three. We can take positive things, I saw many positive aspects, we know what to work on, but that’s the way it is. If you’re in a situation that you don’t like, you take steps to get out of it.
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Klopp insisted that there is nothing to worry about and that “as a group we are really together and we have to work it out together”, and it is true that claiming Premier League and Champions League titles in the last two seasons means that he does not need as much from the FA Cup and Solskjaer, who is still looking for the first trophy in charge of United.
The only downside for the home team was seeing Rashford, who was outstanding all night, walking straight through the tunnel after being substituted; Solskjaer said United’s top scorer will undergo a knee scan on Monday.
Furthermore, while satisfied with the result, the United manager also took the opportunity to remind his players that the optimism generated by beating Liverpool will mean little if they cannot do the same against Sheffield United on Wednesday.
“In the dressing room there is a great atmosphere but I want to see a reaction,” he said. “Everybody is euphoric and should be, but tomorrow morning I want to see the players thinking about Wednesday, not today.”
Solskjaer said in preparation for this game that, in 1999, it was only after the season was over that he was able to identify the important moments that had helped Ferguson’s team move on to bigger and better things. Taken in isolation, beating Liverpool in the FA Cup means little more than moving on to the next round, but it could prove much more significant.
Source: espn.co.uk
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