Mainoo hails Carrick impact as Man Utd seal Champions League with defeat of Liverpool

The defeat will heap more pressure on Reds boss Arne Slot.

Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo scores their side's winner. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Manchester United 3 Liverpool 2 

Bank holiday weekends on the red side of Manchester don't come much better than beating your fiercest rivals to book a return to the Champions League.

Kobbie Mainoo, the local lad who grew up a United fan, knows better than most what it means in these parts to beat the old enemy from Merseyside, so it was fitting that the 21-year-old midfielder celebrated his new contract with the winning goal that sparked the 24-hour party people into a knees up.

Liverpool's fans will also be glad that they don't have to go to work in the morning, but for very different reasons.

Arne Slot's side stepped back from the brink when goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo at the start of the second half wiped away the lead that United had deservedly built up during a blistering opening salvo that saw Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko both find the target.

But Mainoo, the born-and-bred Red who looked on his way out of Old Trafford until Michael Carrick made him believe again after coming in as manager, claimed the bragging rights when he marched on to Alexis Mac Allister's poor clearance 13 minutes from time to find the bottom corner with the sweetest of strikes from 20 yards.

Alex Ferguson, taken to hospital as a precaution after falling ill before the game, would have felt a little better when he was told that Liverpool had been vanquished.

Only time will tell whether Carrick has done enough to be given the chance to follow in the footsteps of the great man on a more permanent basis after leading United back into Europe's elite.

But this was the club's first Premier League double over Liverpool in a decade. And while the victory over the champions at Anfield in October may have belonged to Ruben Amorim, it is Carrick who has brought the magic back to M16.

Mainoo's post-match sermon about his manager had echoes of a young Ryan Giggs or David Beckham describing Ferguson. "You want to follow him, you want to fight for him, you want to die for him on the pitch," said the midfielder. "I feel like we showed that today.

"He (Carrick) has played a huge part in it, with all the confidence he gives all the players. I’m so blessed to be in this position. I used to dream about days like this. I’m glad to be here - and my future’s at this club."

Slot refused to blame the absence of Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike through injury for Liverpool's 11th defeat of the season. His team still need four points to be certain of finishing in the top five - and three will probably be enough thanks to their superior goal difference on sixth-placed Bournemouth.

But if the Dutchman was unhappy about the space granted to Cunha in the sixth minute to beat stand-in keeper Freddie Woodman from the edge of the box with a miscued shot that was given added impetus by a deflection off Mac Allister's hip, he was downright furious that United's second goal eight minutes later was allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR check.

The Liverpool manager felt the ball had struck Sesko's hand before dropping over the line after the United striker challenged Woodman for Bruno Fernandes' looping header back across goal.

"I think it was handball," said Slot. "But I don't think it's a surprise to anyone this season that the decision goes against us. That has been the story every single time this season.

"But we didn't concede the second goal because of handball. We conceded it because we lost the ball in a stupid position and we lost a few big moments afterwards in duels. We have to first look at ourselves."

Szoboszlai has been the only Liverpool player to regularly perform like a champion this season. When the Hungarian pounced on a misplaced pass by United substitute Amad Diallo two minutes after the break, his graceful 40-yard run to the cusp of the penalty area enabled him to guide a low shot past Senne Lammens with his left foot.

Nine minutes later, the scores were level. Lammens' pass to Casemiro was cut out by Mac Allister and the ball was worked first to Szoboszlai and then Gakpo. The Dutchman couldn't miss.

It took an instinctive Lammens save to prevent Luke Shaw putting Liverpool ahead with an own goal before Mainoo pounced in front to the Stretford End to win it for United in spectacular fashion.

"I haven't had any updates about Sir Alex," said Carrick. "I was made aware of it before the game and obviously we wish him all the best. I'm sure the result, when he hears about it, will give him a nice boost."

Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Lammens 5; Dalot 6, Maguire 7, Heaven 7, Shaw 7; Casemiro 7, Mainoo 8; Mbeumo (Dorgu 75, 6), Fernandes 7 (Yoro 96), Cunha 6 (Zirkzee 87); Sesko 6 (Diallo 46, 5).

Liverpool (4-2-2-2): Woodman 5; Jones 5, Konate 5 (Chiesa 87), Van Dijk 6, Robertson 6 (Kerkez 59, 5); Gravenberch 6, Mac Allister 6; Frimpong 6 (Ngumoha 75, 5), Gakpo 7; Szoboszlai 7, Wirtz 5.

Referee: Darren England.