Liverpool endured a tortuous opening 45 minutes against Manchester United but Roy Keane was in no mood to sympathize with Arne Slott’s side.
Arne Slott was not happy with the Reds’ opening 45 minutes (Image: News Images/NurPhoto)
Manager Roy Keane slammed Liverpool, saying they “scared” Liverpool after conceding two goals in the first half against Manchester United. Arne Slott’s side were completely outclassed by Michael Carrick’s side in the first 45 minutes.
Matheus Cunha hit a half-volley into the ground, but it sailed beyond Freddie Woodman’s reach and into the bottom corner after just six minutes. Less than 10 minutes later, Benjamin Sesco scored United’s controversial second goal.
When the Slovenian hit the net, Slott and the Liverpool players immediately protested that the ball hit their hands on the way in. Any contact was unintentional, but a goal that hits the attacker’s hand before breaking the line is excluded.
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The incident was thoroughly scrutinized by VAR, but despite examining it from many angles, only Sesco himself could truly know if the hand had been caught, and ultimately the goal was awarded to Carrick’s side. While Slott and his players may be feeling bitter about the decision, Keane showed no sympathy for the Reds.
When asked about Liverpool’s first-half performance, Keane said: “[Slot]won’t be happy[with Sesco’s handball call]but he should be more angry at the team. They look scared to death.”
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“They got off to a slow start and conceded two goals defensively. The second goal, Robertson was brought down at the back post and Robertson defended this far and moved forward…oh, it was terrible.
“Liverpool are like a five-a-side team, but they’re a bad five-a-side team. They’re not athletic and give the ball away cheaply. United look like they can score every time they go forward.”
When asked about Sesco’s goal in the studio, Keane and Daniel Sturridge unanimously agreed that it had been a goal, insisting there was no clear evidence the ball made contact with the United forward’s hands. Mr Sturridge said at the beginning of the discussion: “It came off the top of my thigh and it looks like it grazed my fingernail.
“But they made what they thought was the right decision. You can’t see it clearly, but it looks like there’s a small touch on the claw. Are you going to take the goal back because you touched the claw?”
Keane, who clashed with Sturridge early in the program, agreed with the former Liverpool forward, commenting: “I’m a bit of an old-school thinker. I don’t think you’d want that goal to be undone.”
Liverpool made an incredibly slow start (Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Sturridge then replied, “There’s a touch, but it’s just a touch,” and Keane ended the exchange by declaring, “There is, but they saw it (and decided it was a goal).”
Liverpool wasted no time in their overwhelming response in the first half and broke through the blocks in the second period. Just two minutes after the restart, Dominik Szoboszlai found the back of the net.
Nine minutes later, the Reds pounced on a wayward pass from United goalkeeper Senne Lamens, and Alexis Mac Allister intercepted the ball and fed it to Szoboszlai, who pushed past Gakpo to score from close range. However, United scored the winning goal with Koby Mainu’s goal, securing their place in the Champions League.
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