
After subjecting us to one of the most disappointing games in Premier League history last weekend, Manchester United and Liverpool made up for their sins by playing out a five-goal thriller on Sunday evening.
Great goals, dramatic lead changes and toe-curling defensive errors – this FA Cup tie had everything.
It all started when Mohamed Salah provided a timely reminder of his talent, scoring a fine goal with just under 20 minutes on the clock.
Superb finish, @MoSalah ✊⚽️#MUNLIV | #FACup pic.twitter.com/UFA9yMREHq
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 24, 2021
THAT pass from Firmino
THAT chip/goal from SalahClass!
1-0 Liverpool
— Jan Aage Fjortoft ?️? ?? (@JanAageFjortoft) January 24, 2021
Firmino to Salah and it’s 1-0. Been a while since that’s happened, but form is fickle, class is enduring.
— Gary Lineker ? (@GaryLineker) January 24, 2021
Finally, Liverpool have scored. And it was a fine goal too. Perfect pass from Roberto Firmino, supremely composed dinked finish from Mohamed Salah. #MUFC 0-1 #LFC
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) January 24, 2021
Beautiful football from Liverpool. Trent looks annoyed that he doesn’t get the ball from Gini but the creativity problem is due to ball going wide too often. This time inside to Firmino who manages to find Salah with a good finish for 1-0, maybe a shift to 442 now to counter.
— defence2attack (@defence2attack) January 24, 2021
Liverpool’s lead would not last long though. Soon after Salah opened the scoring, United grabbed one of their own.
Mason Greenwood’s finish was sublime but fellow academy graduate, Marcus Rashford, created the goal with an even better crossfield pass.
? Superb pass by Marcus Rashford
? Lovely finish from Mason Greenwood#MUFC 1-1 #LFC #MUNLIV #FACup via @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/ZX8bEwFgo3
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) January 24, 2021
1-1. Greenwood. Route one. Long crossfield pass from Rashford. Chest control and finish.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) January 24, 2021
Greenwood with a brilliant equaliser, a fine finish. But, what a ball from Rashford to set him up. 1-1 #MUNLIV
— Charlotte Duncker (@CharDuncker) January 24, 2021
Pogba breaking up play started the move for that goal. I hope that gets the amplification his mistakes get. He stole the ball from 2 players and gave United the platform to play on the break. 2 passes later, 1-1 Greenwood.
— Babanla (@biolakazeem) January 24, 2021
Good entertaining half that. 1-1 both brilliant team goals plus brilliant finishes from Salah & Greenwood. Man U finish the half the better team. Rashford & Shaw killing on the left.
— Neal Bateman (@nij81) January 24, 2021
The game could not have been more different to the pair’s Premier League meeting and the goals continued to flow after the break.
First to join the party was Rashford, with Greenwood returning the favour with a fine assist of his own. United fans were (unsurprisingly) loving it.
Marcus Rashford, as cool as you like ?#EmiratesFACup @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/zHlYtBXMW7
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 24, 2021
Bloody hell @MarcusRashford is as good on the pitch as he is off it. ????
— Gary Lineker ? (@GaryLineker) January 24, 2021
Assist ✅
Goal ✅Marcus Rashford is bringing it against Liverpool ? pic.twitter.com/Krbkxv8gjw
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 24, 2021
Rashford assist. Greenwood goal.
Greenwood assist. Rashford goal.Brilliant. pic.twitter.com/syS0RtFeY0
— ?™ (@TheFergusonWay) January 24, 2021
Marcus Rashford is worldclass and there’s no debate
— Elano (@elano_vu) January 24, 2021
Pogba✔️
Shaw✔️
Rashford✔️The most improved player at United
— popoola oluwatobi (@Tobislim02) January 24, 2021
Unfortunately, there is no way of avoiding the part that Rhys Williams played in the goal. Failing to deal with a fairly routine ball over the top, the defender fluffed his clearance and left Rashford free to slot it past Alisson.
It was one of several missteps Williams made in the game…
Jürgen Klopp won us the Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and the Club World Cup, all on one of the lowest budgets out of the “big” teams.
It’s a shambles the owners aren’t backing him this January when it’s so obvious we need a CB. Absolute joke.
— – (@AnfieldRd96) January 24, 2021
We’ve played a lot worse than this over the course of the last month. Rhys Williams will be made scapegoat for his defensive mistakes tonight but I hope everyone can see why Klopp prefers starting Hendo at CB. He’s simply not ready for first team football.
— LFC 360 (@LFC_360) January 24, 2021
Rhys Williams has been thrown in at the deep end, tbh. He’s bound to make mistakes at his age and experience. Still livid, mind.
— Ben Webb (@BenWebbLFC) January 24, 2021
Shame Rhys Williams has to play at this level as he’s not even close to being there.
— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) January 24, 2021
The excitement did not stop there either. Just 10 minutes after Rashford’s goal, Liverpool levelled things up again.
This time, it was Edinson Cavani’s turn to make a mistake, with the Uruguayan’s pass being picked off by James Milner. Milner then played a nice one-two with Roberto Firmino, before moving it on for Salah to smash home.
59′ – Firmino rolls the ball across the box, clever dummy from Milner and Salah rolls in his second goal of the game to equalise!
[2-2]#MUNLIV | #FACup https://t.co/fJl8kZGyPv
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 24, 2021
Salah is only 4 goals away from reaching the total he got last season & some of you wanted him sold.
Respect the King ? ?? pic.twitter.com/va8w2GNtHt
— Kiraan (@Thiago_vision) January 24, 2021
I wonder if salah is more upset that he didn’t get his hattrick than the result lool.
— ugliest (@SollySankz) January 24, 2021
Absolutely sound of Mo Salah to equalise when I’m cooking a roast dinner for my Dad’s birthday. Cooking for 5 people is no joke. Should have just made my signature potato waffles.
— Sarah (@SarahMc2811) January 24, 2021
Like so many United games in the past, this one was eventually settled by the miraculous Bruno Fernandes.
Entering the fray with 25 minutes left on the clock, there was only one man who was ever going to step up when the hosts won a free kick on the edge of the box.
It was an unorthodox technique, a sidefoot struck hard across Alisson, but boy was it effective.
No stopping Bruno Fernandes ?#EmiratesFACup @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/gOCxdmJbOi
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 24, 2021
Bruno Fernandes is currently the best player in the world.
— Castro1021 (@Castro1021) January 24, 2021
Bruno Fernandes has scored against Spurs, RB Leipzig, PSG, Leicester City & Liverpool this season alone.
Not bad considering he goes missing in big games. ? pic.twitter.com/GTcwDnhFQg
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 24, 2021
28 – Since his Man Utd debut in February 2020, Bruno Fernandes has scored more goals than any other player for Premier League clubs (28). Revelation. pic.twitter.com/Kyl0pU83EF
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 24, 2021
“BrUnO FeRnAnDeS DoEsN’t TuRn Up FoR BiG gAmEs” #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/VE4iwClvvh
— 90min (@90min_Football) January 24, 2021
Salah makes it 2-2 for Liverpool.
Bruno Fernandes from the bench :#MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/0kWVGjklEO
— You’re fine af that’s why I (@S__Rufus) January 24, 2021
That goal knocked the stuffing out of Liverpool and they registered little in the way of a fightback in the closing stages.
The result may be a seismic in the Premier League title race; could it give United the momentum they need to go on an unbeaten run? Or, might the decreased fixture congestion help Liverpool in the long run? Only time will tell.
They’re not the favourites, but they are contenders at the moment. I see a team growing in confidence and results like today will only help them.
Who knows where it could take them because there’s lots of talent in there. https://t.co/8l25vTS4AW
— Scott Saunders (@_scottsaunders) January 24, 2021
Let’s be honest. @robbohuyton was right. Thank god we don’t have fans in. Can’t even imagine how much shit Ole would be getting for taking us to the top of the table and knocking the scousers out of the cup. It’s a good job I’m at home, otherwise I’d be booing them off today ?
— Scott Patterson (@R_o_M) January 24, 2021
United edge it to go through to the next round, but what a game it was! ?#MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/HA7Zd6sbzE
— 90min (@90min_Football) January 24, 2021
Let’