After a heated match at Anfield, Liverpool lost 2-1 to Manchester United. The Merseyside giants fell behind just two minutes into the game when Brian Mbeumo swung the ball past Giorgi Mamadashvili after Alexis Mac Allister went to the floor with a head injury in a collision with teammate Virgil van Dijk.
Arne Slott’s men advanced repeatedly, wreaking havoc. The home team finally got an equalizer 12 minutes before the end when Kodi Gakpo shot the ball from close range. But as Liverpool continued to struggle, Harry Maguire headed home United’s winner six minutes later. Express Sport has also rated and shortlisted Liverpool players.
Liverpool player rating vs Man United
Giorgi Mamadashvili: 7
Although he was unable to prevent Mbeumo’s early shot, he made a series of fine saves to keep his team in the game. He also played a nice ball forward to Gakpo after the Reds went on the first route and Liverpool were on the back foot. They were beaten by Maguire’s header and ultimately found themselves on the back foot.
Connor Bradley: 4
He started ahead of Jeremy Frimpong but lacked quality on and off the ball. He has fallen short of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance going forward and will struggle to maintain this spot in the coming weeks.
Ibrahima Konate: 8
He was used on too many occasions and was Liverpool’s best defender on the day, as United’s attack caused all sorts of problems for the hosts. As Van Dijk struggled, he won a header and a tackle.
Virgil van Dijk: 5
He often finished second best in duels, colliding with Mac Allister before being caught out of position by Mbeumo’s attack. He posed a threat in the air at the other end as teammates tried to find his head on set-piece passes into the box.
Milos Kerkes: 4
He struggled against a dominant United side and was targeted as a weak link in the Reds’ defence. It was a no-man’s land in the Red Devils’ opening game, and they were also guilty of using too many touches when Liverpool needed to push forward. United gave up the ball as they looked to score a second goal before the half-hour mark, but looked nervous throughout.
Ryan Gravenbirch: 6
This was one of their weakest matches this season as they were unable to prove their authority in the midfield. He would have had more of an impact if he was used more up front.
Alexis Mac Allister: 5
He suffered a head injury in an accidental collision with Van Dijk’s elbow just before the opening game against United, with Liverpool players complaining that the game should have been called off. He was then forced to wear head protection. Ryan Gravenbirch on the left was exposed at times as he moved forward.
Mohamed Salah: 7
It was one of Mohamed Salah’s better performances this season as he has proven to be an attacking threat. He delivered a provocative cross to Van Dijk early on, just before he had a fluid exchange with Isak. While Dutch representative Gakpo’s shot hit the post and bounced back, he made a special pass midway through the first half to get past Gakpo. However, when a clear chance arose in the second half, the shot that should have scored went wide. Still far from his best.
Dominik Szoboszlai: 5
Occupied the attacking third. However, the team would have been helped more if either Szoboszlai or Mac Allister had played with a little more depth. Despite intense efforts, the impact on litigation was limited.
Kodi Gakpo: 8
Always a big threat in the final third. Salah equalized the score in the first half. He hit the post again early in the second half, then a deflected shot struck the woodwork for a third time. I kept knocking on the door and only tapped it late to receive my reward.
Alexander Isaac: 5
He took a shot in the 30th minute of the match, but the ball swung so much that the line was thrown into disarray. Ibrahima Konate then had another big chance, but his shot was deflected by Senne Lamence. He lacks energy and is yet to score in the Premier League after playing four games. Far from the best since arriving from Newcastle.
replacement
Hugo Ekitike: 8
He came on for Alexis Mac Allister shortly after the end and thrilled the home fans with a shot shortly after. He then quickly hit the next shot and was full of energy.
Florian Wirtz: 7
He was left out of the starting lineup for the third time in four league games, which is frustrating. He replaced Conor Bradley, but was unable to spark Liverpool’s second-half comeback.
Curtis Jones: 6
A triple substitution was made in place of Ryan Gravenbirch, with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz brought on at the same time.
Federico Chiesa: 7
After coming on as a substitute for Alexander Isak, he was asked to come up with the goods in the late hours. Although he assisted Gakpo’s attack, it did not lead to a draw.
Jeremy Frimpong: 6
He came on for Mohamed Salah with five minutes left in the 90th minute, but it wasn’t enough time to give his team a point.
