Man Utd defeats Liverpool, secures champions league spot

Man Utd defeated Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford in matchweek 35 of the Premier League, ensuring their return to the Champions League after a two-season absence.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford was electric from the start, embodying the spirit of an English derby. The familiar anthems "This Is The One" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" resonated as Man Utd players stepped onto the pitch.

In the sixth minute, Old Trafford erupted. From Mbeumo's corner kick, Andrew Robertson's clearance was indecisive. Cunha collected the ball at the edge of the penalty area, his initial shot blocked, but he managed to strike the rebound with his left foot. The ball deflected off Alexis Mac Allister and flew into the far corner, leaving Freddie Woodman with no chance. This marked Man Utd's earliest home goal against Liverpool in the Premier League since Ruud van Nistelrooy's effort in 4/2003. "Everything is too easy for Man Utd. They are cutting through Liverpool with runs around the box," commented former home defender Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

Liverpool maintained more possession after conceding, yet posed little threat. The visiting team, missing Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike due to injuries, lacked pace and penetration in attack. Former visiting defender Jamie Carragher criticized Liverpool's play as "like five-a-side football," while Roy Keane was even harsher at the end of the first half: "Liverpool look scared to death. They look like they're only playing with five men, and a bad five at that."

Man Utd extended their lead to two-nil in the 14th minute following a controversial play. Mac Allister's misplaced pass in midfield allowed the home side to counter-attack. Sesko was initially fouled during a one-on-one situation, but Man Utd quickly regained possession. Luke Shaw delivered a cross from the left, which Fernandes headed across. Goalkeeper Woodman pushed the ball onto Sesko, and it slowly rolled over the goal line.

Sesko's somewhat fortunate goal. Photo: Reuters

VAR intervened due to suspicions of the Slovenia forward's hand touching the ball. After several minutes of review, referee Darren England confirmed the goal, as there was no clear enough camera angle to definitively conclude that Sesko used his hand to play the ball. The British newspaper Guardian described that "Sesko's fingernail may have touched the ball."

Sesko's goal was his 11th in the Premier League this season, with nine of those coming since early 2026. Another statistic highlights Man Utd's strong form: they have not lost a single Premier League match this season when scoring first, while Liverpool has only managed one comeback victory. An interesting detail is that Fernandes was not credited with an assist for Sesko's goal because Woodman touched the ball last before it rebounded off the Man Utd forward. This means the home captain remains at 19 Premier League assists this season, just one assist shy of the record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

After the first half, the Telegraph noted that Man Utd was "toying with their arch-rivals," while the Guardian described Liverpool's performance as "sub-minimal." The Athletic wrote: "Liverpool are their own worst enemy. Their defense is a mess." With a two-goal advantage and an unbeaten record in 139 Premier League matches when leading by two or more goals, Man Utd completely controlled the first half. However, the second half unfolded differently.