Visualized: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

Previous Match Infographics: Bayern Munich (h), Bournemouth (h) West Ham (a), Leicester (h), Crystal Palace (h), Brighton (a), Manchester City (a), Arsenal (h), Newcastle (h), Wolves (a), Manchester Utd (h), Napoli (h), Bournemouth (a), Burnley, Everton (h), Paris St-Germain (a), Watford (a), Fulham (h), Arsenal (a), Cardiff (h), Red Star Belgrade (h), Huddersfield (a), Manchester City (h), Napoli (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Leicester (a), Brighton (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Ham (h)

Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app. 



What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Is the midfield or the front three more responsible for Liverpool's flagging attack, both (yesterday) and in other similar instances this season?

We've complained about a lack of creativity from midfield before. And, since Liverpool failed to score for a second successive match, in a match where Liverpool's midfield did next to nothing in attack, we're complaining about it again.

Passes in the penalty area from midfield would be a good start.




*Gulps, tugs collar*

Key passes would be helpful as well.



It takes a while to get to one of Liverpool's starting midfielders in this match. Milner's chance creation is often set play based, and there's the five or six games at full-back, but he's at least creating chances, and three of his five assists have come from open play. You and I both know that creation isn't necessarily Fabinho, Wijnaldum, or Henderson's job, but it'd be helpful. Especially in matches like this.

Saturday's midfield three combined for one key pass yesterday: Fabinho's layoff for Milner on that first-minute indirect free kick.

*Gulps, tugs collar*

There have been matches where each has been creative. Wijnaldum at Bournemouth, Fabinho against Palace, both Wijnaldum and Fabinho in the reverse fixture, just off the top of my head. But it's also telling that neither Wijnaldum nor Henderson has an assist this season, while Fabinho has two, albeit one from a set play and both while playing in a 4-2-3-1 system back in December.

City – admittedly built in a much different manner, with a very different playing style – have David Silva, de Bruyne, Gündogan, and Bernardo Silva well over 1.0 key passes per 90 minutes. Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, and Kanté all average more for Chelsea. Arsenal have Özil, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, and Xhaka. Tottenham, probably the most similar to Liverpool in this regard, at least have Eriksen, Dele Alli, and Sissoko over 1.0 key passes per 90 minutes.

Of course, Liverpool's front three only combined for one key pass at United, so…

It's not as if the midfield is the only area suffering from a lack of creativity.



The dip in the earlier part of the season stems from both the switch to 4-2-3-1 and Mané missing a couple of games while both Salah and Firmino were subs in one or two others. But the averages rebounded, and Liverpool won more games, and the winter was pretty damned good. And for the most part, the shots, the shots have remained fairly consistent. The key passes have not. And then you add the lack of creation from midfield as well and you get Saturday.

You also get this.



The goals, there are fewer of them. Almost proportional to the fewer clear-cut chances as well. And it's been happening for a few matches now, as I suspect you're well aware. Whether Saturday was the culmination of that decline or just a new low remains to be seen.

And so we got just seven shots despite 65% possession, with five of them from set play, just one on-target from a very long way out, and neither a clear-cut chance nor a goal. We went from Liverpool's highest shot total – by far – in the reverse fixture two months ago to the joint-lowest in this. Yes, Liverpool still needed two deflected goals in the reverse fixture to win. Yes, Klopp's got a point about how United's injuries both slowed and disrupted Liverpool; you can see similar when a side goes down to ten men. Yes, in isolation, a point isn't a bad result at Old Trafford. Yes, a point returns Liverpool to the top of the table; here we are with problems, complaining about being ahead of one of the most impressive sides ever assembled.

But the trends continue, and not in a good way. Draws continue, this the fourth in five matches. And I remain worried.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

Opportunity lost.

We're more than familiar with terrible Liverpool-United matches. It's almost par for the course, especially since Mourinho. They're ugly as hell, no one plays well, as just as often as not, no one wins.

This was perfectly in keeping with that. Jose Mourinho might as well still be United manager.

But Manchester United at least had their reasons. Not only are Liverpool frequently capable of cutting open sides very open, but United had to deal with three injuries in the first 45 minutes, with Pereira replacing Herrera, Lingard replacing Mata, and Alexis replacing Lingard, all before halftime. I especially liked how Solskjaer went with a rushed-back-from-injury Lingard instead of Alexis, then needed to replace him with Alexis 18 minutes later.

So there's that. That, and Liverpool have not been good when sides have bunkered deep lately. See: 1-1 Leicester and West Ham, even 0-0 Bayern.

Liverpool were especially not good today. And especially in attack.

Credit where due and all that, but Liverpool were utterly awful in open play. With United sitting deep and narrow, Liverpool forced play wide, time and time again. James Milner, used at fullback with Alexander-Arnold just back from injury, had the most touches and played the most passes by far. I like James, you like James, everybody likes James, but that's not usually a recipe for success.

Liverpool played 26 crosses, about eight more than usual per match and 19 more than United played today. Milner was responsible for 17. Three found Liverpool players, with all three from corners.

I don't like when Liverpool's attack is based around crosses. It doesn't usually go well.

Two of Liverpool's grand total of seven shots came from open play. And both of them were from very, very far away. Just one of Liverpool's seven shots was on-target, one of those very, very far away shots from Daniel Sturridge a minute or so after coming on. It's the first time Liverpool have put just one shot on-target since a 1-2 loss against Palace back in April 2017.

That's now two matches in a row without a Liverpool goal. With a combined total of three shots on-target in those two matches. And at least Liverpool created decent opportunities against Bayern, for what that's worth. They very much did not today.

It certainly did not help that Firmino went off through injury in the 31st minute, casualties claimed on both sides, but that can't be the sole excuse. This ain't the first time we've complained about attacking fluency this season.

We can blame the midfield for not being creative enough; we can blame the front three for being off-color, with both Mané and Salah very below par and an very-underused Sturridge pretty much anonymous. We can blame almost every player for the lack of movement, for individual errors, for resorting to crosses too quickly and too easily; we can blame management for devising the attacking patterns or lack thereof. We can blame lots of things.

Even with all those United injuries, and Liverpool's possession dominance, Liverpool could well have lost that match. They probably would have in previous seasons. United had the only clear-cut chance of the match: Pogba's tame set play header at Alisson. Liverpool needed Alisson to charge out to deny Lingard getting onto Lukaku's 40th minute through ball, the play which saw Lingard injured. Matip had a set play own goal correctly ruled out for offside, but just. And Smalling probably should have gotten on the end of Lukaku's vicious cross in second half stoppage time.

That's far more than Liverpool can claim in attack. An indirect in-box set play all fouled up in the first minute, a wild Salah free kick from a great position after Matip's run in the 16th minute, off-target headers from Jöel Matip's Lego Head in the 44th and 71st minutes, and that's about it.

There's a reason that Liverpool have never had consecutive 0-0 draws under Jürgen Klopp. Because one of Liverpool's successive games without scoring has seen the opposition score at least once.

So there's that. This title challenge has been built on the defense and on clean sheets, after all.

Long story short, no one really played well, especially in attack. Players were complacent, build-up slowed, unpressured passes went every which way but well, no one could beat their marker, no one could create anywhere near a moment of magic. Crosses and set plays, the first, last, and only options of resort. Even the substitutions confused: Sturridge rather than Shaqiri with Salah going up front in the first half, Henderson not removed for Shaqiri and a change to 4-2-3-1 until the 73rd minute, Origi replacing Salah with ten minutes to play.

United had to make three changes before halftime and played with Rashford on one leg for the entire second half. And Liverpool couldn't push or punish them.

But at least Liverpool didn't lose.

That's now two games without a goal. Four draws in the last five matches. We'd like to pretend that there's no such thing as pressure, but Liverpool are not making it easy for us or themselves. Liverpool probably should have beaten at least one or two of Leicester, West Ham, and Bayern. Even matches previous – the helter skelter at Palace, the narrow win over Brighton – weren't especially great. Haven't been especially great for about, say, a month now. Since Manchester City's win over Liverpool reduced a seven-point gap to four.

And now that gap at the top of the table couldn't be narrower. One point separates Liverpool and Manchester City having played the same number of matches. City have a vastly better goal difference. City have a marginally harder schedule: still in all four competitions, at least until today's League Cup final, and a trip to United to come while Liverpool's only top-six games are at Anfield.

A draw at Old Trafford's not the worst result. But a draw at Old Trafford probably isn't good enough either.

Visualized: Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United

Previous Match Infographics: Napoli (h), Bournemouth (a), Burnley, Everton (h), Paris St-Germain (a), Watford (a), Fulham (h), Arsenal (a), Cardiff (h), Red Star Belgrade (h), Huddersfield (a), Manchester City (h), Napoli (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Leicester (a), Brighton (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Ham (h)

Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app. 



Finally.

Yes, yes, that Europa League match in 2016. But it's been far too long since Liverpool beat Manchester United in the Premier League, a run of three draws and five losses, with Liverpool's last league win in 2013-14.

So it's fun to do it in dominating fashion but also needing a damned bit of luck with both the second and third goals, two from a substitute to win the match with less than 20 minutes remaining. Lucky and good, my absolute favorite.

Let's start with the most dominating part.

36 shots is the most allowed by any Manchester United side since Opta began keeping records in 2003. It's the most shots taken in a league match so far this season. It's the second-most shots that Liverpool have taken in a league match in the last eight league seasons.

This was just the seventh time that Liverpool have taken more than 30 shots in a league match since the start of 2011-12, with four of those coming under Jürgen Klopp. Unsurprisingly, the other three came in 2013-14.



That's some esteemed company that Manchester United are in. Sides that finished 12th, 13th, and 19th in 2013-14; a hilariously bad Everton in a late-season Merseyside Derby; a to-be-relegated Hull in 2016-17; and last season's Burnley, wizards at making sides take lots of shots from bad locations with a bunch of players in the way. It wasn't the first time Burnley frustrated Liverpool similarly.

That Burnley match is honestly the best comparison for yesterday's match. Which, again, says more than a bit about this season's Manchester United, and is a comparison I will gladly perpetuate. Pack the defensive third, double-mark opposition attackers, encourage deeper players to stride forward and shoot as a last resort. Which is also very much a favored Jose Mourinho tactic in matches where he hopes to do no more than spoil. See (sigh) Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea in 2013-14.

There's a lot of possession and a lot of shots, but a lot of not very good shots. Liverpool's xG per shot in this match was around 0.07, which is a hilariously low total.

And that's what happened to Liverpool against Burnley last season. Shot after shot after shot after shot, with little response from the opposition since they'd gotten a first-half goal they'd little right to expect. And we're shouting at the side as an infuriating 1-1 looks likelier and likelier.

But this incarnation of Liverpool didn't finish the match 1-1. This incarnation finally put together a decent move to get deep into United's penalty box, and put the damned ball in the back of a damned net for the much-needed second time.

By hook, crook, and deflection, this Liverpool found a way to break through. And now I can't stop thinking about the differences between how those two matches ended. Liverpool did have chances in the last 20, 30 minutes of last season's match against Burnley. Sure, too many of them were low-value, from distance, but there's also a clear-cut chance from Solanke which cannons off the woodwork that still sticks in the teeth.

There are two sides to this.

That's the difference in fortune. One clear-cut chance ricochets off the crossbar rather than in off the underside of it. 15 months later, Liverpool get an opportunity coming from a kick-save going straight to an attacker and that attacker's shot getting the most helpful of deflections.

But there's also the difference in being able to bring on Xherdan Shaqiri rather than Dominic Solanke. And that's not trying to be unnecessarily mean to Solanke, who's still probably got a promising future. It's just that Xherdan Shaqiri's future is now. As Liverpool's also seems to be.

I wrote about it less than two weeks ago, but it's again worth pointing out the effect that substitutes have had on Liverpool's season so far. Here's that chart again.



That's now eight substitute goals in 24 games so far this season. And four of those goals were game-winners, with another as a late, late, late equalizer. Even in 2015-16, when Liverpool scored 16 substitute goals, only three won Liverpool a match, with three more 90th-minute equalizers. So not only are Liverpool's substitutes having an effect on matches, Liverpool's substitutes are doing more to win Liverpool matches.

Incidentally, Liverpool had just five substitute goals last season, in matches that Liverpool won 4-0, 7-0, 3-0, and 3-0.

Liverpool truly are better this season, even if the side's not been at its most exhilarating. That's evident in the results earned, more than enough to prove it hasn't been a fluke and increasingly convincing since that ever-so-fun winner against Everton. And if not for an out-of-character blunder from a keeper who's far, far better than that, this probably isn't even as much of a contest, but with similar disparities in statistics.

Liverpool are increasingly comfortable in this 4-2-3-1 formation, evident in Fabinho's dominating performance, Wijnaldum's greater involvement, Firmino's much, much greater involvement, and Salah's output in the previous couple of games against Burnley and Bournemouth even if he wasn't at his most effective here. Mané did well from the right and Keïta, like Oxlade-Chamberlain the season before, is getting time and experience from an outside-but-tucking-in berth.

It is December 17th and Liverpool are 19 points ahead of Manchester United, and a 3-1 score line both affirms and emphasizes the gap. It is December 17th and Liverpool remain unbeaten in the Premier League. It is December 17th and Liverpool are still atop the table, despite the pressure put on by the oligarchs breathing down their necks, with the most recent step forward coming again the most hated of opponents.

Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United

Goals:
Mané 24'
Lingard 33'
Shaqiri 73' 80'

It was all set up for another Mourinho Moment.

I do not need or want to list the litany of disappointments and failures against Jose Mourinho's sides, whether at Chelsea or United. It has felt like voodoo at times, Mourinho's deal with the devil fully in focus.

This looked all set to be another example. Another example made especially worse because Liverpool were actually good.

Liverpool were doing the pressing and the possession and the rolling at an opponent like an incoming tide. After a fourth minute United set play that frightened, with Young's delivery past everyone into the net but Lukaku rightfully ruled offside, United couldn't get out, Liverpool kept coming, Liverpool kept shooting.

Sure, most of Liverpool's shots were from distance, because that's what Mourinho defenses force, but the goal felt coming because Liverpool kept coming. And then it came, wonderfully, in the 24th minute: Fabinho's delicious pass over United's five-man defense finding Mané's run, chest control, weaker foot goal past De Gea.

1-0, three-quarters of the match to go, this is gonna be fun. But then it wasn't. Out of nothing, United attack down Liverpool's right, the midfield bypassed, Lukaku with the ball on the flank, Dalot open behind Robertson for the low cross. But when the low cross came in, it's headed straight for Alisson instead of Dalot. Phew. Except not, because Alisson spills the ball when claiming, bouncing off his knee directly to Jesse Lingard. The goal keeper who's saved Liverpool multiple times already this season – including in the 92nd minute of the Champions League just five days ago – literally hands an equalizer to the most hated of rivals.

Life is not fair. It is not just that Mourinho's sides frustrate and shut down, but all sorts of evil somehow arises. Gerrard's slip. Ibrahimovic's late offside equalizer. Multiple 0-0s with missed chances and uncalled penalties. And now Alisson's flub.

And now we can go full Mourinho. Liverpool, still in control, still in possession. Liverpool, still shooting from distance, more and more with worse and worse result. To make matters worse, Fellaini replaced Dalot to start the second half, a shift away from the basically 3-4-1-2 to a basically 4-4-1-1, with Fellaini there to man-mark Firmino when out of possession and win headers when in.

Now we've actually reached Full Mourinho.

And we're frustrated. And we're pegging shots from nowhere that almost certainly aren't going in, first the forwards, then the midfielders, and then even the center-backs, with both Lovren and van Dijk even "trying" their luck. 29 shots by the 72nd minute, 15 of them from outside the box, 14 of them blocked. It's all set up for torture, it's all set up for pain.

But then Xherdan Shaqiri comes into the game. Less than two minutes later, Liverpool are in front. Less than ten minutes later, Liverpool are 3-1 up. With both goals from Liverpool's substitute.

It is better to be lucky than good. It is best to be lucky and good. Wijnaldum's long cross-field finds Robertson, who gets the ball to Mané. The run to the byline's dangerous. The cut-back can go anywhere after Matic's touch and De Gea's kick save. It falls to Shaqiri, who thankfully gets there before Clyne, smart enough to make the run into the box as United's defenders retreat to the six-yard box, his shot arrowing in off both Ashley Young and the underside of the cross bar.

Seven minutes later, that man again. Liverpool counter, Mané to Shaqiri to Firmino, laid off hopefully for Salah but again somehow magnetized for Shaqiri's boot, then magnetized to find a United defender and United's goal, a massive swerve off Bailly's knee beating De Gea.

It could not be more heartening for Liverpool, because it could not be more dispiriting for Manchester United. They've got to suffer through ten more minutes after Shaqiri seals the game – ten more minutes with more Liverpool chances, ten more minutes with Anfield alternately singing in full voice and shouting "Olé!" as Liverpool rub salt in all the wounds.

Now, Liverpool return to the top of the table. Now, Manchester United are closer to the 20th-placed side than to Liverpool, with 19 points separating the two teams as we enter the third week of December.

It is further evidence of Liverpool's strength in depth, with yet another crucial substitute goal. Two, in fact.

It is further evidence of Liverpool's versatility, with another return to the 4-2-3-1 formation, but with Keïta wide left, Mané on the right, Clyne making his first league start in forever, and Firmino pretty much everywhere. Shaqiri's entrance shifted Mané to the other flank, where he was able to set up Liverpool's winner, then Henderson's entrance saw Liverpool in a 4-3-3 to both shut down proceedings and counter more effectively.

It is further evidence that Liverpool have good players, with Fabinho superlative, Firmino and van Dijk not far off, Wijnaldum metronomic, Robertson still running up and down the touchline, and a sumptuous goal from Sadio Mané. All this without Salah having the impact we always hope he'll have.

It is further evidence that this might actually be Liverpool's time. The frustration ultimately ends if Liverpool keep doing Liverpool. The voodoo gets broken. The bad guys lose in the end. No matter the egregious error equalizer, no matter the fifty minutes of frustration. Mourinho can't do this every time, United can't do this every time.

Not to this version of Liverpool.

Visualized: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United

Previous Match Infographics: Porto (h), Newcastle (h), West Ham (h), Porto (a), Southampton (a), Tottenham (h), Huddersfield (a), Swansea (a), Manchester City (h), Everton (h), Burnley (a), Leicester (a), Swansea (h), Arsenal (a), Bournemouth (a), West Brom (h), Everton (h), Spartak Moscow (h), Brighton (a), Stoke (a), Chelsea (h), Sevilla (a), Southampton (h), West Ham (a), Maribor (h), Huddersfield (h), Tottenham (a), Maribor (a), United (h), Newcastle (a), Spartak Moscow (a), Leicester (a), Burnley (h), Sevilla (h), Manchester City (a), Arsenal (h), Hoffenheim (h), Crystal Palace (h), Hoffenheim (a), Watford (a)

Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app. 



Stop Liverpool's front three, stop Liverpool.

To be fair, that's easier said than done. But United did.

I'll first point to the above Tackles and Interceptions chalkboard. That thick black line just outside United's penalty box. Yikes. Tackles on Salah's side – he was dispossessed seven times this match, more than double his season average – and interceptions on the left and central. Also known as "the passes trying to find Firmino, Salah, and Mané."

How well United did in silencing Salah, given the season he's had, remains the most impressive. Just one shot – in injury time, from a scrambled second-ball set play, ballooned over. One key pass – a corner for van Dijk's off-target header in the 48th minute. Just one attempted dribble, which was unsuccessful.

Compare Salah's touches in this match to that against United in October, which wasn't even anywhere near one of his best performances. Far fewer, far deeper. Salah touched the ball in United's box just three times on Saturday: a mis-control in the 49th minute, an unsuccessful layoff pass in the 55th, and the aforementioned off-target shot deep into added time.

But it's not as if Salah was the only disappointment. And it's not as if Salah hasn't carried Liverpool to multiple victories already this season. But when Liverpool's front three aren't firing, can't fire, Liverpool become excessively reliant on set plays and shots from distance, and that's not usually a recipe for beating Manchester United.

United, however, did not necessarily need Liverpool's help in shutting down Liverpool's attack. Click on the embedded tweet below for some "highlights" in the subsequent thread.

Some examples of Liverpool's surprisingly poor decision making and impatience which along with horrible defending was the reason Liverpool never had a chance:

— HS_Ftbol (@hrrss123) March 11, 2018

Seriously, go watch all the videos in that thread. I am not responsible for the things you break or family/friends/coworkers/neighbors you frighten by shouting.

It's an uncharacteristically bad showing from a usually terrifying attack, but also one hindered by a defense who's big, talented, and very resilient in a low block. It can be both. And both is bad.

And both is really bad when you do bad at the other end of the pitch. I am, of course, also annoyed about the goals conceded.

One screenshot almost totally suffices.



Lovren does not need to get this tight to Lukaku. Even if Lukaku wins an unchallenged header, Lovren's at least another defender there to mark the second ball rather than completely taken out of the play. A split-second hesitation from van Dijk means he's on the back foot when trying to get back to help. And Alexander-Arnold's obviously the most culpable, watching the ball just long enough to allow Rashford to get goal side.

But Liverpool should also not be three v three from a goal kick situation. It's asking for trouble, regardless of whether Lukaku flicks on perfectly for Rashford or just gets the ball further forward. Lovren needs to better recognize the situation, but so does Liverpool's midfield.

Despite the similarities with United's opener, we can call the second goal at least as much lucky as good. Sure, Lovren's again unnecessarily tight to Lukaku and again beaten in the air. Sure, Alexander-Arnold's again not in the best position to mark Rashford. But the goal happens because van Dijk's successful tackle on Mata somehow falls directly to Rashford. Shit happens, even if it sometimes seems to disproportionally happen to Liverpool.

It's still more about what happened at United's end of the pitch rather than Liverpool's.

I would also like to complain about the time that this game took place. Can we can 7:30am kickoffs yet?



Liverpool's goals per game average in all of Klopp's matches is 2.01. Goals conceded per game is 1.08 – a full goal better than in these matches, although that game against City earlier this season makes the average a fair bit worse. And Klopp's points per game mark (if every match counted for points) is 1.85.

Maybe it's coincidence. Or maybe there something about Liverpool's usual training time that screws up planning, fitness, etc. when Liverpool have to kick off early.

Sure, it's only 12 matches – 11 in the Premier League. Over almost three full seasons. But in the four played this season, Liverpool have taken just two points. I'm still mad about getting just a point at Watford and against United. I'm still mad Liverpool didn't get a point from this match.

But, yes, this is only one match. Even if it's against the Evil Empire. Even if the result sees Liverpool fall to fourth, five points behind United and with Tottenham leapfrogging into third after yesterday's win at Bournemouth.

Because there are still eight league matches left. And what happens in them from here remains up to Liverpool.

Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United

Goals:
Rashford 14' 24'
Bailly OG 68'

Away games against Liverpool's peers have not gone well this season. At least we've got complaining about the referee to mitigate the tire fire that was the first half. Because Liverpool absolutely got Mourinhoed in the first half.

Jose Mourinho's top-six strategy is well-known. Kill the game in your defensive half and try to exploit the main weakness you can find in the opposition's half. And oh boy did they.

14th minute. De Gea hoof. Lukaku beats Lovren in the air, with Lovren way too tight. Lukaku heads on for Rashford, in behind Alexander-Arnold. Alexander-Arnold overruns when retreating. Rashford's wide open to beat Karius.

24th minute. De Gea hoof. Lukaku beats Lovren in the air, with Lovren way too tight. Lukaku controls, tries to find Mata. Van Dijk tackles, but it falls perfectly for Rashford, who's wide open as Alexander-Arnold overruns when retreating.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

And to make matters that much more fun, van Dijk had shouldered a corner just wide from five yards out less than minute before United's second. Football's fine margins, etc.

So not only did Liverpool get Mourinhoed, we got a game that began almost exactly how Liverpool's 1-4 loss at Tottenham began. That's not a good place to start from. Liverpool had gone down 0-2 in 13 previous games under Klopp. They won one – I suspect you remember Borussia Dortmund – and lost 12.

Unlike the match at Tottenham, it at least did not get worse. Liverpool at least began doing a marginally better job controlling those situations. But that's also the difference between Pochettino's Tottenham and Mourinho's United.

Tottenham – like Liverpool in those positions – will continue to attack. Manchester United will absolutely destroy any semblance of a football match.

They'll destroy it with eight or nine men behind the ball. They'll destroy it with those midfield monsters planted in the middle of the defensive third: 6'4" Scott McTominay and 6'4" Nemanja Matic. They'll destroy it with the darkest of arts: time-wasting on throw-ins and goal kicks, sly fouls when the referee's not looking and dives when he is, faking injuries with Liverpool in possession in the final third then booting the dead ball to Liverpool's goalkeeper to reset the defense.

It'd be awe-inspiring if it wasn't so maddening to watch at the best of times and mass murder-inducing when your side's got to play against it.

But not only did it not get worse for Liverpool, it actually got better in the second half. If "righteous indignation" and "unexpected but ultimately unfulfilled optimism" is better than "I would like to fire these Liverpool players into the sun." I can go either way, honestly.

We have complained about the referees a lot this season. I imagine every team complains about the referee as often. I am still going to complain about the referees some more.

You should not expect to get much at Old Trafford, but you still expect things like "Young's pulling Salah back there" and "that hit Valencia's arm" and "Fellaini got Mané's leg there" to be called when those things happen inside the penalty box. Maybe at least one?

It does not help that the referee was Craig Pawson. You may remember him from such films as "Calvert-Lewin Gets A Penalty" and "Liverpool v West Brom: The Case For VAR."

It does not help that Liverpool had somehow gotten back into the game thanks to Eric Bailly, an incredible own goal from Mané's byline cross in the 68th minute, hilariously followed by Bailly pretending to be injured for the next two minutes out of embarrassment.

It does not help that Liverpool did not find some way to get an equalizer, despite an egregious amount of possession, despite moments where we actually, stupidly thought they might, unable to overcome the two-goal deficit they dug their way into. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak, from almost all involved.

But for the misplaced optimism following Liverpool's goal, for all the complaints about the referee and decisions or moments that could have gone the other way, the grand total of Liverpool's attack was the own goal, three penalty shouts, and a couple of headers from 13 corners. From one of the best attacks in Europe.

xG map for Manchester United - Liverpool. Rashford did very good goals (xG misses a bit here) and then United totally shut down Liverpool's previously dominant attack. pic.twitter.com/sSJXUCp9hF

— Caley Graphics (@Caley_graphics) March 10, 2018

Salah was supremely stifled, Firmino often had to drop deep to try to start a meaningful move, and we got one of those "I've got too much time on the ball to think about what I'm gonna do and that often ends badly" Mané games.

Liverpool put just two of 14 shots on-target. United blocked half of Liverpool's shots. All five of Liverpool's in-box shots came from set plays. Liverpool have now scored twice in four matches against Mourinho's Manchester United: a penalty and an own goal.

Liverpool failed in a couple of decisive moments and were punished for it. Again. For the fourth time in four matches away at a top-six rival. And Liverpool got Mourinhoed. Again.

Liverpool at Manchester United 03.10.18

7:30am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
0-0 (h) 10.14.17
1-1 (a) 01.15.17
0-0 (h) 10.17.16
1-1 (a; Europa League) 03.17.16

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-0 Porto (h); 2-0 Newcastle (h); 4-1 West Ham (h)
United: 3-2 Palace (a); 2-1 Chelsea (h); 0-0 Sevilla (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Salah 24; Firmino 13; Mané 8; Coutinho 7; Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain 3; Sturridge 2; Alexander-Arnold, Henderson, Klavan, Lovren, Matip, Wijnaldum 1
United: Lukaku 14; Martial 9; Lingard 8; Rashford 4; Fellaini, Mata, Pogba, Valencia 3; Smalling, Young 2; Alexis, Bailly, Matic, Mkhitaryan 1

Referee: Craig Pawson (LFC History) (WhoScored)

Guess at a line-up:
Karius
Trent A-A Lovren van Dijk Robertson
Alex O-C Henderson Can
Salah Firmino Mané

I still don't like this fixture, but I'm not afraid of this fixture.

I used to be. Maybe I should still be. There's only one other fixture that causes as much pain with a Liverpool setback – the city rivals. For all the complaints, and sometimes mediocre football, there are still a lot of good players at Manchester United, especially up front and in goal. Few managers can kill a match as thoroughly as Manchester United's.

But it's hard to fear Jose Mourinho's Manchester United.

And it's easy to fear Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool.

Mourinho's United take the fewest shots per match in the top six. They allow the most shots in the top six. They have the least possession. But only City and Liverpool have scored more goals. But only City have conceded fewer. But United have a better record in top-six matches that Liverpool, with home wins over Tottenham and Chelsea, even if they've scored fewer than half the goals that Liverpool have in top-six matches. But United are still second, ahead of Liverpool by two points.

Maybe I should still be afraid.

We're all but certain what Liverpool's XI will look like. The only questions are the usual: can Henderson play three games in a week – especially after suffering a dead leg against Porto – or will the midfield be Can, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain instead? Will Lovren or Matip partner van Dijk?

United's XI isn't that hard to guess either, with Herrera, Blind, and Jones out injured, while Fellaini's only just returned and will probably be on the bench at best. De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young; McTominay, Matic, Pogba; Lingard, Lukaku, Alexis. Maybe it's Rashford, Mata, or Martial in place of Lingard. With Fellaini, Blind, and Herrera out, it's hard to see a different midfield; Mata's a possibility in the three, but starting both he and Pogba would be very un-Mourinho.

Almost every match between Klopp's Liverpool and Mourinho's United has followed the same pattern. Mourinho sets up his side to nullify, De Gea stands on his head, Liverpool only draw. United remain the only Premier League side that Klopp's yet to beat in a league match. Newcastle, and Rafa Benitez, shared that honor just a few weeks ago. They don't anymore.

Liverpool haven't drawn consecutive matches since the beginning of December. Liverpool have followed previous 0-0 draws this season with 4-0 and 7-0 wins. If Liverpool press as Liverpool can press, score as Liverpool can score, and defend as they have done in the last few matches, Liverpool should win.

Liverpool are the more exciting side. Liverpool, at their best, are the better side, no matter what the table currently says. So change the table. And change the narrative.

Visualized: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

Previous Match Infographics: Newcastle (a), Spartak Moscow (a), Leicester (a), Burnley (h), Sevilla (h), Manchester City (a), Arsenal (h), Hoffenheim (h), Crystal Palace (h), Hoffenheim (a), Watford (a)

Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app.



As has become depressingly usual, there's not a lot to be said that hasn't already been said over the last month.

Yes, Liverpool were better than Manchester United in most phases of the game. Liverpool had more and better chances to win. Liverpool played better than in this fixture last season, when Manchester United were in far worse form and Liverpool in far better.



Liverpool still got the same result as last season. Liverpool still drew. For the fifth time in the last seven matches.

So, yes, Liverpool had two clear-cut chances where United had none. Liverpool had vastly more shots. More shots on-target, and more inside the box.

It's the first time United have been held scoreless this season. United's last shot came in the 43rd minute, which was United's only shot on-target, well saved by Mignolet after Gomez did just enough to put him off. And I'll remind that this United side had scored 33 goals in its first 11 matches in all competitions.

But Liverpool's last shot on-target came in the 41st minute. 10 shots in the second half: four blocked, and six off-target. The final six shots of the match were all off-target. Those two clear-cut chances were saved by De Gea and missed by Emre Can.

Once again, Liverpool have been let down by its finishing. As against Sevilla, Burnley, Spartak, and Newcastle – every single one of those other draws over the last month.

My biggest concern – outside of the overall lack of goals and the results, obviously – is that Liverpool rarely felt capable of getting a winner as the match went on. Increasingly frustrated and increasingly poorer Liverpool shots. Blocked, blocked, blocked, blocked, off-target, off-target, off-target, off-target, off-target, off-target.

It remains difficult to get over Liverpool's substitutions. Yes, we're coming off an international break. Yes, Liverpool play again on Tuesday, in a match where points are arguably even more important; there are 30 league matches left, while there are potentially only four left in the Champions League.

But it remains strange to see Coutinho, Salah, and Firmino taken off when chasing a match-winner. Oxlade-Chamberlain at least looked dangerous and created two chances (albeit both from corners), but neither Sturridge nor Solanke took a shot. Or created a chance. Or did anything of note. And subsequently, Liverpool took just two shots after the substitutions. From Lovren and Matip – Liverpool's two center-backs – both from corners, both off-target.

This is not the first time Liverpool have looked increasingly inept in front of goal as the match progressed.



The last time Liverpool scored a winner after the 75th minute was at Everton in December 2016. The last time Liverpool conceded a late winner was against Southampton in the second leg of last January's League Cup semi-final. The last time it happened in the league was at Bournemouth in December 2016.

Just compare the amount of opposition goals scored after the 75th minute since last January to the amount scored by Liverpool.

Liverpool have yet to score after the 77th minute this season: Sturridge's added gloss in the 4-0 romp over Arsenal. The latest game winner remains Mané's against Palace in the 73rd minute in August. The latest meaningful goal was a minute later in the previous match: Liverpool's second at Hoffenheim, necessary due to Liverpool conceding late in that match, making what would have been an equalizer merely a consolation.

Incidentally, Manchester United have scored 10 league goals after the 77th minute in the league this season, so at least Liverpool didn't allow that. Liverpool didn't look anywhere near allowing that. And that's always a positive with this Liverpool side.

Still, I'm not sure what happened to the side which had those late heroics at Norwich and against Dortmund in 2015-16, or the side which at least persevered to late wins against Sunderland and Everton in the first half of 2016-16.

So, yes, Manchester United are difficult opponents. This is always a narrow fixture, one which Liverpool have struggled in for a few seasons now no matter each side's respective form. In isolation, it's an annoying result, but nowhere near a bad result. Unfortunately, we can't take it in isolation. Not after the last month of results.

Once again, Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool almost always lives and dies by the goals they score. And if they're not scoring...

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

Liverpool played well. Liverpool still got Mourinho'd.

It is frustrating to see United come to Anfield with no ambition other than keeping Liverpool out, but it's what Jose Mourinho does at Anfield.

And it works. It especially works when United are already seven points ahead of Liverpool because of Liverpool's earlier disappointments against the type of sides that United have already blown away.

This fixture's become a damp squib, which is exactly how Mourinho likes it. And it's a damp squib that Liverpool haven't won in the last seven league meetings.

For Liverpool's 62% possession, for Liverpool's 19-6 shot difference, for Liverpool's five shots on-target to United's one, for Liverpool's 1.8-0.3 xG difference, there really isn't that much to regret in front of goal. Compared to previous regrets, at least. De Gea had his usual moment of brilliance at Anfield when denying Matip in the 34rd minute, swiftly followed by Salah firing narrowly wide. Can's awkward close-range flick over from Gomez's wonderful cross in the 56th. A soft-but-seen-them-given penalty shout for Coutinho in the 61st. And that's about all worth mentioning.

So, yeah, three very good chances, and one penalty claim. Which, admittedly, is a lot for this fixture. But it wasn't simply failing to put the damned ball in the damned net, as against Burnley, Spartak, etc. It was the final ball not good enough. It was an inability to deal with Mourinho's damned parked bus, and not for the first time. It was Manchester United's good at the defense; that have conceded just two league goals, after all. Not enough potency, again, but more importantly, not enough guile.

They also need to stop scheduling this fixture right after an international break. This was a lot like last season, except United are in far better form and Liverpool aren't.

At least Liverpool barely gave United a glimpse at their goal. Even less than this fixture last season. United played for counters and set plays – Liverpool's demonstrable weaknesses – and created one moment of note, when Liverpool lost possession in transition, got diced through the middle, and Mignolet denied a fierce but straight rocket from Lukaku just before halftime. Three corners and a couple of free kicks led to nothing, potential counter-attacks were smothered well, especially by Liverpool's full-backs.

That's Liverpool's third clean sheet of the season. Crystal Palace – still yet to score in the league – Arsenal, and Manchester United. It is a weird season and this is a weird team.

It is somewhat surprising to see a side that's scored 33 goals through 11 matches in all competitions, that's scored three or more goals in five of their last six games, play so negatively but hi have you met Jose Mourinho.

So, yes, Liverpool played well. Liverpool still drew, for the fifth time in the last seven matches.

I still maintain that "one win in eight" lies. Liverpool's two losses came because of a red card and in a competition no one cares about. Liverpool should have won approximately three or four more of those matches. But it's still one win in eight.

It'd be better if Liverpool were firing on all cylinders. It'd be easier if Liverpool were bad. But Liverpool are just barely not quite good enough. Either wasting chances, or conceding too easily on those aforementioned counters and set plays, or simply unable to break down the super-powered version of Tony Pulis' Stoke. Almost there. But not quite good enough. Again.

Liverpool are close. But close is only good enough in horseshoes and hand grenades. It's certainly not good enough in this league.

Liverpool v Manchester United 10.15.17

7:30am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
1-1 (a) 01.15.17
0-0 (h) 10.17.16
1-1 (a; Europa League) 03.17.16
2-0 (h; Europa League) 03.10.16

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-1 Newcastle (a); 1-1 Spartak (a); 3-2 Leicester (a)
United: 4-0 Palace (h); 4-1 CSKA Moscow (a); 1-0 Southampton (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Salah 4; Mané 3; Coutinho, Firmino 2; Henderson, Sturridge 1
United: Lukaku 7; Fellaini, Martial 3; Pogba, Rashford 2; Bailly, Mkhitaryan, Valencia 1

Referee: Martin Atkinson (LFC History) (WhoScored)

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Trent A-A Matip Lovren Moreno
Wijnaldum Henderson Can
Salah Firmino Coutinho

The international break was good, because it was nearly two full weeks without Liverpool drama. That's always welcomed.

The international break was bad, because it claimed yet another casualty, as it always seems to do. Sadio Mané, with a hamstring, in the conservatory. He'll be out for around six weeks. I doubt I need remind of Liverpool's record without Sadio Mané.

Mohamed Salah will make it less likely that Mané's absence leads to what happened when Mané was absent last winter. But we'll still probably see a more conservative, more defensive, more grinding, and less potent Liverpool – as we saw when Mané was absent at the end of last season. A stretch where Liverpool won five, drew two, and lost just once.

We'll probably see Coutinho move back into the front three, with Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Can in midfield. There are a couple of other less likely options, and we'll probably see all of them over the next few weeks, even if infrequently. Firmino going to the left with Sturridge or Solanke central. Oxlade-Chamberlain in the front three with Coutinho in midfield. A switch to 4-2-3-1, with either Wijnaldum or Can making way for Sturridge or Solanke up top. But we'll probably start with Coutinho in attack, because that seems the XI with the highest possible ceiling.

There's also the question of Trent Alexander-Arnold or Gomez at right-back. Both quick enough to deal with Rashford or Martial, but one ostensibly more attacking and one ostensibly more defensive. Which would suggest Gomez in this fixture, but Trent Alexander-Arnold's a Scouser. There needs to be a Scouser when these sides meet.

So I'm not incredibly excited for this fixture. Not that I ever am.

Liverpool do not have the best results following international breaks: 3W-4D-1L, although they've been mostly difficult fixtures, against Tottenham (twice), City (twice), Leicester, Southampton, Everton, and United. Liverpool do not have the best results in early kickoffs: 7W-5D-8L, although 15 of those 20 games came away from Anfield.

And, as we're all aware, Liverpool have not had the best results of late.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have scored 21 goals through seven league games, behind only Manchester City. United have scored six via set plays – more than any other side in the division – with three from corners and three from crossed free kicks. Romelu Lukaku is the league's top scorer.

United have conceded just twice in the league, both in a 2-2 draw at Stoke, the only league match where they've dropped points this season. They're level on points with Manchester City, five points ahead of third. They're unbeaten in both Champions League matches, each a three-goal win.

At least United didn't come out of the international break unscathed either. Fellaini strained knee ligaments, and will be out for the next few weeks. With Pogba and Carrick already missing, United's midfield has to be Herrera and Matic. Phil Jones pulled out of the England squad, but will probably be available here. Rojo and Ibrahimovic remain long-term absentees.

Which makes tomorrow's likely XI: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Young; Matic, Herrera; Mata, Mkhitaryan, Rashford; Lukaku. Maybe Martial starts in place of Rashford, maybe Jones can't go and it's Smalling instead. Those are pretty much the only alternatives.

We know what we're getting with Jose Mourinho's side. And we know what we're getting with Jose Mourinho. United have become a lot more potent this season, mainly thanks to Lukaku, but they're still low-block-and-counter rather than blitzkrieg. Strangle then garrote, rather than Liverpool's ideal fist-to-the-face-and-don't-stop-punching. Only six of United's 21 goals have come in the first half. 10 of the 21 have come after the 80th minute. Which *glances at Watford and Sevilla's equalizers, and Leicester in the League Cup* isn't ideal.

This may not be the ideal fixture for a fresh start, but it's a fresh start all the same. Yes, results were bad over the last month, but the play really wasn't. Yes, United are playing depressingly well. Yes, Liverpool tend to stumble in early kickoffs and after international breaks.

But this is what it is. Liverpool have to deal with it, Liverpool have to overcome it.

I know I am pessimistic far too often for most folks' liking. And I am admittedly pessimistic about tomorrow. But a good performance certainly isn't out of the question. And a win certainly isn't out of the question. We've seen Liverpool storm out of the blocks in a big game at Anfield. We've seen Liverpool convert the chances we saw Liverpool create but fail to convert over the last month. We've seen Liverpool keep an in-form Lukaku completely under wraps.

Liverpool can; we know Liverpool can. The question, as always, is whether Liverpool will.

Visualized: Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

Previous Match Infographics: Sunderland (a), Manchester City (a), Stoke (h), Everton (a), Middlesbrough (a), West Ham (h), Bournemouth (a), Sunderland (h), Southampton (a), Watford (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Brom (h), United (h), Swansea (a), Hull (h), Chelsea (a), Leicester (h), Tottenham (a), Burnley (a), Arsenal (a)


All match data from Stats Zone and Who Scored.


A day later and it's still hard to focus on anything other than a linesman's incorrect decision.

But, yes, Liverpool did a lot of good things.

Liverpool remain the only top-six side not to lose to a top-six competitor this season.

Liverpool held United to their joint-lowest shot total during this now-16-match unbeaten run, tying the nine that United took against Swansea, a match where they went three up after 33 minutes and bothered to take just one shot in the second half.

The only match where United took fewer shots this season was the 0-0 at Anfield, where they totaled all of seven.

Liverpool did this while missing half its preferred backline, one through unexpected injury and one through unsurprising FIFA shenanigans. An 18-year-old right-back made his full league debut at Old Trafford, up against the quick and tricky Anthony Martial. And while United caused a few problems down that flank, Alexander-Arnold coped adequately, especially after the first 25 minutes and especially considering his age and experience. And Liverpool did well to protect him, with Lovren, Can, and Henderson all helping to cover, all four players accounting for multiple tackles and Lovren and Alexander-Arnold combining for six interceptions.

Liverpool's +4 shot differential is the joint-highest against United this season, tying what league-leading Chelsea did in their 4-0 home romp over United, a match which prefaced this current United unbeaten run.

Liverpool's 11 in-box shots also matches Chelsea's total in that contest, another high against United this season. In the 0-0 at Anfield three months ago, five of Liverpool's nine shots came from outside the box.

United took all of two shots between the start of the second half and the move leading up to the equalizer, both from outside the box and off-target. A spell that United supposedly "dominated." During that spell, Firmino, Lallana, and Wijnaldum all had in-box chances to extend Liverpool's lead on the counter. From the 45th to 83rd minutes, Liverpool took six shots to United's two.

Which leads into the annoying fact that Liverpool did some bad things as well.

Liverpool shouldn't have been in the position to concede a late equalizer because of those second-half counter-attacking chances. Firmino's was too close to the keeper. Lallana's was tame. Wijnaldum had time to control with his chest rather than attempt a much-more difficult header, then tamely shot at De Gea in injury time.

Liverpool were absolutely nowhere near their potent heights, but this could have come at least a little close to the supreme counter-attacking performances against City and Chelsea last season had Liverpool converted one or even two of those chances. Score in the first half, control the match, extend the lead, go home happy. Sigh.

Liverpool are yet to score an open play goal in 2017. Two corners at Sunderland and a penalty at United (which came from a corner), goalless with the kids against Plymouth and at Southampton in the League Cup. Four matches. 360 minutes. Zero open play goals. That's not good.

It can't, or shouldn't, be solely down to Coutinho and now Mané's absences. Sure, take two of the best attackers out of almost every side and they suffer, but Liverpool need to be able to better cope. There's still attacking talent in this side. This is, as I suspect you remember, not the first time I've written this. With Coutinho returning, I'm hopeful I'll be writing it less. Liverpool have averaged 0.6 xG less per game since Coutinho's injury, from 1.8 to 1.2. Firmino had five goals and three assists before Coutinho's injury, he has just one goal (in the 4-1 win over Stoke) since. I remain convinced this, coupled with a small squad and a couple of other absentees, is the main reason for Liverpool's festive season slump. Incidentally, all four second-half chances mentioned above came after Coutinho came on.

While a second goal probably would have sealed a win, once again, with a narrow lead late into the game, Liverpool concede. Even if, yes, it shouldn't have stood because it shouldn't have gotten to that position. It's the fourth time that's happened this season: Spurs, Bournemouth (who went on to win), Sunderland (a), and now United this season. That's nine points lost. Don't look at the table.

There have been a few matches that Liverpool won with goals in the final 20 minutes – at Swansea, against Sunderland, Leeds in the League Cup, and at Everton – but they don't quite make up for the points dropped. At least it's better than last season?

Still, all considered, there are probably more positives from yesterday than negatives. Liverpool could and probably should have won at Manchester United for the first time in three years, Liverpool did enough to merit that win. It's just, as usual, the negatives – whether from Liverpool or the officials – will stick far longer in the memory.

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

Goals:
Milner 27' [pen]
Ibrahimovic 84'

It is hard not to feel incredibly aggrieved.

Liverpool were without Clyne because injury – requiring a first league start for 18-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold – Mané because the African Cup of Nations, Matip because FIFA, and Coutinho because he was only fit enough for the bench. Liverpool compensated with something of a diamond: Firmino and Origi up front and Lallana everywhere. Sometimes it looked 4-3-3, but it mainly allowed Firmino to play more centrally, revitalizing both player and press.

Liverpool were ahead for 83 minutes. Deservedly so, if only after Milner opened the scoring. United had seemed the more threatening side before Pogba crazily handled a corner, with Milner's penalty hit too fiercely for De Gea to save. The concession not only knocked United back but emboldened Liverpool, and Pogba – who had impressed prior – fell off the face of the earth. The diamond increasingly controlled the midfield, with United needing the flanks to get forward.

Michael Oliver gave Liverpool absolutely nothing after the penalty he simply had to give, ignoring four possible yellows and an "I've seen 'em given" red or two.

Liverpool had defended excellently, at least in the second half, with Mignolet responsible for keeping United off the scoreboard in the first, brilliantly denying Ibrahamovic's free kick and Mikhitaryan's wide box effort. After the restart, United took just two shots before the move leading to the equalizer, both from outside the box and off-target.

Liverpool could and should have extended the lead with chances on the counter, Firmino and Lallana denied and Wijnaldum heading over, Liverpool looking better in attack after Coutinho came on for Origi, but for the most part, Liverpool did what Liverpool needed to do.

And then, with United needing to resort to Fellaini and crosses and headers and not much more, United equalize. Valencia's cross to Rooney, Rooney's cross to Fellaini off the post, then Valencia's cross to Ibrahimovic and a stooping header looping over Mignolet with Alexander-Arnold unable to clear off the line. In the 84th minute. Sigh.

Oh, and Valencia was clearly offside in the build-up.



I am told this is something like United's fifth or seventh goal at Old Trafford thanks to an uncalled offside this season and maybe hashtag fake news I don't really remember but I absolutely believe it.

All told, it's a lot like Liverpool's draw at Tottenham in August. A point's not the worst result and a lot of supporters would have taken it pre-match. United had won nine consecutive matches in all competitions and Liverpool hadn't won at Old Trafford in almost three years. But Liverpool should have won. Liverpool seemingly did enough to win. Liverpool would have won if they'd taken just one more chance and Liverpool would have won if a linesman did his job.

And, of course, it's much, much worse because it's Manchester United and how aggrieved we all rightfully are.

Unfortunately, it is what is it. Two points dropped and an equalizer conceded in the final 15 minutes, not for the first or second or third time. Liverpool remain without a win in 2017 with three draws and a loss in all competitions. But Liverpool also remain in the hunt in three competitions. Liverpool remain third in the league, level on goal difference with Tottenham, three points ahead of City, five ahead of United, and seven behind Chelsea. Liverpool remain unbeaten against a top-six side. Liverpool remain in a good position going forward, with 17 games still to play, with Coutinho and Henderson returning and the Matip situation probably getting figured out if FIFA doesn't completely FIFA.

And now, another interlude with the kids in the FA Cup before Liverpool go again against Swansea on Saturday. Back to work. There's nothing else Liverpool can do.

Liverpool at Manchester United 01.15.17

11am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
0-0 (h) 10.17.16
1-1 (a; Europa League) 03.17.16
2-0 Liverpool (h; Europa League) 03.10.16
0-1 United (h) 01.17.16

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-1 Southampton (a); 0-0 Plymouth Argyle (h); 2-2 Sunderland (a)
United: 2-0 Hull (h); 4-0 Reading (h); 2-0 West Ham (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Mané 9; Lallana 7; Firmino 6; Coutinho, Milner 5; Origi 4; Can 3; Lovren, Sturridge, Wijnaldum 2; Henderson, Matip 1
United: Ibrahimovic 13; Mata, Pogba 4; Rashford 3; Martial, Mkhitaryan 2; Blind, Rooney, Smalling 1

Referee: Michael Oliver

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Clyne Matip Lovren Milner
Lallana Henderson Wijnaldum
Firmino Origi Coutinho

Ugh. This fixture. I will never pretend to like it, at least until it's over. An age-old rivalry, which Liverpool has been on the lesser end of lately, a vastly important match for Liverpool's title race and top-four aspirations, and Liverpool currently on a three-match winless streak, for the first time this season. And that lot. Rooney. Ibrahimovic. Pogba. Mkhitaryan. Talented and mostly dramatically unlikeable, and now led by Jose Mourinho.

Ugh.

Liverpool's XI is contingent upon players who *might* be available, in attack, midfield, and defense.

Coutinho is the closest, having featured for 30 minutes at Southampton (and was the best player during that spell), but Henderson and Matip are both crucial and close, having been in training for the last couple of days.

I'll be optimistic here – probably for the only time this weekend – and guess all three to start. I don't need to convince you how important all three are to Liverpool's success. Without Coutinho, Liverpool's attack is prone to stuttering, especially now that Mané is away, and it'll mean either both Origi and Sturridge up front or, more likely, Lallana in the front three, where he's never hit the heights shown in midfield this season. Without Henderson, Can or Lucas plays at the base of midfield. Without Matip, it's Klavan in defense, which is sometimes perfectly fine and sometimes that game at Southampton on Wednesday.

If I'm being honest, Can instead of Henderson and Klavan instead of Matip is probably more likely, given that neither Henderson nor Matip has even made the bench yet, but the run-up to this fixture often features me lying to myself.

The only other line-up debate seems to be Origi or Sturridge. If either. Sturridge started against both Sunderland and Southampton, the latter an ignominious performance. But he's still Daniel Sturridge, even if an annoyingly growing section of the fanbase doesn't appreciate his abilities. Origi has been preferred in matches like this, away from home with Liverpool probably out of possession a fair amount, his pace and work without the ball preferred. But I write "if either" because Firmino has been even more preferred as the "striker" in matches like this. I just don't know if Liverpool's squad will allowed it; if Henderson and Coutinho both start, maybe we'll get a Firmino-Coutinho-Lallana front three (see: at Chelsea and City last season). But I doubt it, considering the squad, considering how the season's gone.

While Liverpool are without a win in their last three games, Manchester United are unbeaten in 15, since losing to Fenerbahce at the beginning of November. Their last league loss was a whooping at Chelsea back on October 23. They have nine consecutive wins in all competitions.

It took a little over two months, but a collection of expensive and talented footballers have actually become a team. It's become very Manchester United and very Jose Mourinho. Despite often overwhelming talent, they don't really bum rush you. They grind you down. They score offside goals. They somehow avoid multiple opportunities for red cards. They just win. Infuriatingly.

For the most part, one man has been responsible for the goals: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, top scorer with 13 with the next closest on four. I'm terrified of jinxing it by even mentioning, but he's never scored against Liverpool in five matches. His side's never beaten Liverpool: a loss and a draw with Juventus, two losses with Inter Milan, and a draw with Manchester United earlier this season.

Ibrahimovic was ill against Hull midweek but is almost certain to return. Which is a decent segue into a massive reason for Manchester United's renaissance. While Liverpool have struggled with absentees over the last few months, United absolutely haven't. Only Rojo's questionable through injury, while Bailly's away at the African Cup of Nations.

With a full contingent to choose from, my best guess at their XI is De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Darmian; Herrera, Carrick; Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Mata; Ibrahimovic. But it's not as if they're without alternatives: Martial, Rashford, Rooney, Young, and Lingard in attack; Fellaini's elbows and afro for a different style in midfield; Blind, Rojo, and Shaw in defense.

Liverpool haven't beaten Manchester United in the league since 2013-14, since Moyes, since that 0-3 win at Old Trafford featuring three penalties and tons of schadenfreude. Liverpool lost all four league matches against United under van Gaal, three with Rodgers and one with Klopp. But there are also last season's Europa League meetings: a raucous 2-0 home win that should have been more and a 1-1 away draw that was all Liverpool needed to easily advance.

Still, precedent is hard when Manchester United add more than £100m worth of players every summer. And this also won't look like the last time these teams met, when United had yet to gel and United were peak bad-Mourinho: at least eight men perpetually in their own half and happy with 0-0, which they achieved regrettably easily.

Since Klopp became manager, Liverpool have lost just one of 13 league matches against the other top six teams: 0-1 to Manchester United at Anfield last March, bossing the game but unable to score before conceding on a late set play. Otherwise, six wins and six draws. It looks even better when considering just away matches: four wins and two draws, with both draws against Tottenham, Klopp's Liverpool yet to travel to Old Trafford for a league match.

Pick your omens.

You try not to put too much stock in one match, especially when it's just mid-January. But sometimes you can't help it. Especially when it's Liverpool against Manchester United.

Visualized: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

Previous Match Infographics: Swansea (a), Hull (h), Chelsea (a), Leicester (h), Tottenham (a), Burnley (a), Arsenal (a)


All match data from Stats Zone and Who Scored.



(Nota Bene: Here's the formation diagram usually included in match reviews.)

It seems fitting that this was Liverpool's first league clean sheet in this already strange season. It was Liverpool's first 0-0 in the league since Klopp's first match at Tottenham exactly one year ago. It was Liverpool's first 0-0 at home in the league since Sunderland in December 2014. And it came in a fixture that hadn't finished 0-0 in 11 years.

We all got Mourinho'd. A wet fart in what's usually an ugly but at least closely fought fixture. A fixture that both sides at least usually try to win. A match best defined by a late substitution: Ashley Young finding a way to waste a minute after his number came up in injury time, ambling towards the center circle rather the bench he was yards away from, eventually shoved off by an incredulous Emre Can.

It was all so Jose Mourinho. And it's annoying that Jose Mourinho so thoroughly Mourinho'd. Abandon all hope ye who enter here. But we've all been Mourinho'd much worse in the past.

Jose clearly learned from the Manchester Derby. Sure, United were home in that match, but more important was that United tried to be more adventurous, with Fellaini and Pogba "holding" and a front four of Ibra, Rooney, Mkhitaryan, and Lingard. And United were blown away in the opening 40 minutes, with City scoring twice before Bravo's error got United within touching distance but no closer. He learned that his United couldn't go toe-to-toe with an above average attacking side, not yet and hopefully not ever.

So the way the Manchester Derby went absolutely wasn't happening yesterday. Herrera came into midfield for added control. United's back four sat approximately a mile deeper, with both Bailly and Smalling all but banned from passing in their own half to counteract Liverpool's press. Young and Rashford stayed as wide as possible, with United's "attack" focused on long balls and crosses, and Ibrahimovic did little more than receive long balls and crosses (and commit fouls). They would've liked to go the set play route, still a massive Liverpool liability, but it's hard to win set plays when you don't attack, with just one corner and three attacking free kicks (two crosses, one wild direct shot).

United's front six pressed fairly effectively for the first 30 minutes (all three of their free kicks came during this spell), especially in the middle third. And it unsettled Liverpool, with the home side not helped by the midfield changes. But United also quickly got into deep defensive possession if Liverpool got into United's half, and also clearly tired by the hour mark, sitting in what was basically a 6-3-1 formation for the majority of the second half.

Mourinho came to do what he did when Chelsea murder-death-killed Liverpool's title bid in 2013-14. He got the 0-0, but he didn't get the 0-1 or 0-2.

35% possession is Manchester United's lowest Premier League total since 2002-03. United took all of two shots in the box – both headers – and that accounted for 33% of their total touches in Liverpool's penalty area. 90 minutes. Six touches in the opposition box. Liverpool only took nine shots, half of their average for the season so far, but United took just seven, 44% of their 16-shots-per-game average.

So both sides got Mourinho'd.

Is this what United will be happy with? The most expensively assembled side the world wholly parking the bus against their bitter rivals? Congrats, guys.

This isn't to detract from United's defensive performance, which really was quite good. De Gea and Herrera especially, but also the entire back four. Blocks, tackles, interceptions, clearances. Denying space for passes, denying opportunities to dribble. Mané and Sturridge both rendered irrelevant, both failing to register a shot or create a chance. But it is to ridicule both their ambition and their attack, in a match that usually means the world to both clubs.

So be it. Liverpool still need to improve in cutting through both an early press and packed defenses; as Klopp said (which he also said after Burnley), patience is a virtue. It's gotten better, it's getting better, but Liverpool are still frustrated too easily. But we're still only eight games into the campaign.


Liverpool also clearly missed Lallana and Wijnaldum in midfield, and it's no coincidence that Lallana's entrance on the hour led to increased Liverpool control, although United's inability to match Liverpool's pace and work-rate for 90 minutes certainly helped. Emre Can unsurprisingly struggled early on, but at least got better throughout the match, and nearly won the match with Liverpool's best chance of the game.

The short version is that we're rightfully annoyed, but at least Liverpool didn't make mistakes. Well, Liverpool didn't make any costly mistakes, conceding possession too easily when pressed early on but quickly back into position to ensure nothing came of it. The one clear defensive horror show – Karius' bad pass after Lovren returned the ball to him around the hour mark – went unpunished when Ibrahimovic couldn't get back onside (and missed the chance anyway).

Still, Manchester United also had the only clear-cut chance of the match: Ibrahimovic's header from a deep cross, only able to put the ball across the six-yard box to no one rather than on goal. Which was about as weak a clear-cut chance as you'll see (I'm stunned it survived the Opta update). 


Meanwhile, Liverpool's best two chances weren't high-value chances – Can surrounded by defenders in the 59th, Coutinho from distance in the 71st – but both would have been goals against the majority of keepers in the Premier League.


It's worth mentioning Valencia's impressive last man tackle on Firmino midway through the second half, but once again, and as always against United, there was David De Gea in the way. As in last season's meeting at Anfield, which ended 0-1 because Liverpool couldn't defend a solitary set play. Even in the Europa League at Anfield last season, where De Gea heroically kept the scoreline down to 2-0 as the world burned around him. Just leave for Real Madrid already.

Again, so be it. It's a better result than Liverpool got in the last four league matches against United. It's a point more than they got last season, even if Liverpool played "better" on that day. Through eight matches, Liverpool now have six points more than they took from comparable fixtures last season.

Be annoyed Liverpool didn't attack as well as we know they can, be annoyed Liverpool didn't score, but also be pleased Liverpool didn't bollux anything up either. It could have been Burnley (congratulations United, that's the first side I think to compare to), but it wasn't. Take the point, and as Liverpool did after the Burnley match, learn from proceedings and move on.

Liverpool v Manchester United 10.17.16

3pm ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
1-1 (a) 03.17.16
2-0 Liverpool (h) 03.10.16
0-1 United (h) 01.17.16
1-3 United (a) 09.12.15

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-1 Swansea (a); 5-1 Hull (h); 3-0 Derby (a)
United: 1-1 Stoke (h); 1-0 Zorya (h); 4-1 Leicester (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Milner 4; Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana, Mané 3; Henderson, Lovren 1
United: Ibrahimovic 4; Rashford 3; Mata 2; Martial, Pogba, Rooney, Smalling 1

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Guess at a line-up:
Karius
Clyne Matip Lovren Milner
Henderson Can Coutinho
Mané Sturridge Firmino

Like last month, the international break was unnecessary and boring but not too harmful. Three players suffering with minor problems had more time to recover, and only Gini Wijnaldum picked up an injury.

So it appears that Liverpool have just two of the usual starters doubtful for this, the most important and anxious of fixtures: Wijnaldum after this week's hamstring pull and Lallana still bothered by the groin problem suffered at Swansea. If either are available, Sturridge is probably left out. I've no real idea, but it seems safer to guess that both are out, which would almost certainly require Coutinho to play in midfield – as he did after changes at Swansea – with Firmino and Mané flanking Sturridge. If possible, Lallana seems marginally more likely to play, just because his injury came a few days earlier.

Lovren and Clyne also dealt with knocks over the international break but are much more likely to be available. But maybe that's just hope, because I don't want to see what happens to Liverpool's defense with both of them missing. Not that I really want to watch Liverpool's defense in any match.

Liverpool have only played two home games this season, but we've seen Liverpool at its best in both: 4-1 over Leicester and 5-1 over Hull. An immediate Liverpool onslaught, opening goals within 20 minutes, a second to extend the lead within 35. Because Liverpool, a concession to give the opposition a modicum of hope, but Liverpool's class winning out, Liverpool's blitzkrieg adding more.

Doing that again would obviously be helpful. But Liverpool matches against Manchester United rarely go according to form or plan. Which may well benefit United. Because we've seen all facets of United's form so far in this short season.

Manchester United are still fighting with the demons accrued over the last couple of years, Louis van Gaal's two seasons still linger. They've underwhelmed at times, they've underperformed at times, and they've looked bang back at it at times.

They started the season as they hoped, with a Community Shield victory followed by three successive league wins. But then the Manchester Derby happened. Then two more consecutive losses happened, including a loss upon return to Europe and an embarrassing 1-3 defeat at Watford. That was followed by a bounce-back against Leicester, a 4-1 win that flattered but still impressed. Then a narrow but routine 1-0 in the Europa League. Then a home match against Stoke where United played even better than they did against Leicester, but drew 1-1 because of finishing and because of Joe Allen.

Swings and roundabouts and peaks and valleys already, under a new manager with different needs and a slightly different system, and still only three points behind Liverpool. It obviously helps when you have the money to spend more on one player last summer than Liverpool have in the last four seasons (net spend, of course).

We pretty much know what we're getting with United's XI. 4-2-3-1: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind; Herrera, Pogba; Martial, Mata, Rashford; Ibrahimovic. The big question, as for United as it's been for England, is what to do about Wayne Rooney. Both club and country have been better without him this season, but he's still Wayne Rooney, who still loves playing against Liverpool. I wouldn't be surprised to see him, in place of either Martial or Rashford, with Mata moving out to the right. United's one other line-up decision is Fellaini or Herrera: the more cohesive midfielder (and the better player) or the more physical? Outplay and out-pass Liverpool on their own ground or unsettle Liverpool with height and elbows?

I doubt I need remind how Liverpool routinely struggled against van Gaal's United, at least in the league, with four consecutive league losses against United: three under Rodgers, one under Klopp. Fellaini was a big part of most of those, but Liverpool were a big part of most of those, especially in the one meeting under Klopp. Control the game but don't take your chances and inevitably concede, often on a set play.

United are still bigger and taller than Liverpool, and United are still dangerous on set plays, with four goals from free kicks and corners.

But we also saw what Liverpool were capable of in last season's Europa League meetings. A thorough 2-0 win at home that would have been so much more if not for De Gea, a 1-1 draw away from home where United faded and collapsed after Liverpool's equalizer. That's what Klopp's Liverpool can do to Manchester United, that's what Klopp's Liverpool can do to almost any other side.

Still, this is a different season. It's a different Liverpool – still dangerous at the back, but much much more dangerous up front – and a different Manchester United. With new players bought at eye-watering prices, and a new manager who's consistently foiled and flummoxed Liverpool throughout his career.

But it's still Liverpool and it's still Manchester United. It's still Liverpool versus Manchester United. Just remember to breathe.