Super-sub Shaqiri scores twice to spare Alisson’s blushes as Liverpool outclass Manchester United
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Updated 16/12/2018 at 23:39 GMT
Premier League, Anfield – Liverpool 3 (Mane 24, Shaqiri 73, 80) Manchester United 1 (Lingard 33)
Liverpool's Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri celebrates scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 16, 2018
Image credit: Getty Images
Xherdan Shaqiri came off the bench to fire a late double as Liverpool returned to top spot in the Premier League table courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield.
The Swiss arrived on the pitch with 20 minutes to go and had made a major contribution within three minutes with a shot that flew in off the crossbar via Ashley Young.
Shaqiri then sealed the win with another deflected effort off Eric Bailly 10 minutes from time as Jurgen Klopp's men edged a point clear of Manchester City at the summit.
United had hoped to weather a second-half storm after Jesse Lingard took advantage of Alisson's first-half howler to cancel out Sadio Mane's excellent opener.
However, Jose Mourinho's men were second best for large spells, with the home side clocking up 36 shots in a dominant display.
The result sees Liverpool pick up a Premier League home win over the Red Devils for the first time since 2013 and leaves United in sixth place, 11 points adrift of the top four.
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Liverpool players celebrate
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
Shaq attack spares Alisson's blushes - but what now for United?
Alisson has been savouring the plaudits all week long after his magnificent last-gasp save in the Champions League clash with Napoli ensured the Reds progressed to the last 16. However, his error here saw him go from hero to villain in the blink of an eye.
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Manchester United's Jesse Lingard celebrates scoring their first goal as Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Alisson look dejected
Image credit: Reuters
Liverpool were struggling to make their dominance count until Shaqiri emerged from the bench to demonstrate why the Merseysiders swooped to sign him from Stoke in the summer. The Reds' strength in depth was clear to see courtesy of the playmaker's double, especially given they already had a number of players missing through injury.
It capped a great week for Liverpool which is in stark contrast to United. The Red Devils are now a massive 19 points behind their arch rivals and struggling to keep pace in the hunt for the Champions League places. They lacked any real threat at Anfield and Jose Mourinho will again have questions to answer in the post-mortem from this tepid display that means this is their worst start to a campaign for 26 years.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Sadio Mane (Liverpool). The Senegalese forward was a real menace throughout, expertly converting his eighth goal of the season and playing a major role in Shaqiri's first that put the Reds back in control.
PLAYER RATINGS
LIVERPOOL: Alisson 5, Clyne 7, Van Dijk 7, Lovren 7, Robertson 8, Fabinho 8, Wijnaldum 7, Keita 7, Salah 7, Firmino 8, Mane 9. Subs: Shaqiri 9, Henderson n/a.
MAN UNITED: De Gea 7, Darmian 7, Dalot 6, Lindelof 7, Bailly 7, Young 8, Herrera 6, Matic 6, Lingard 6, Rashford 6, Lukaku 6. Subs: Fellaini 6, Martial 5, Mata n/a.
KEY MOMENTS
24' - GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Man United. The home side lead as Mane expertly chests and volleys Fabinho's sublime ball into the box beyond De Gea.
27' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Almost two! United fail to deal with Robertson's free kick delivery. Firmino keeps it alive before Lovren stabs his deflected cross-shot over the top on the stretch.
33' - GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Man United. The visitors level out of the blue. Alisson fumbles Lukaku's cross from the left and Lingard follows up to gleefully sweep home.
52' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Firmino somehow spins beyond four challenges in a packed area to stab a shot towards the corner that De Gea gets a palm to. Keita follows up, but sees his goal-bound effort blocked to safety.
73' - GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Man United. Liverpool regain the lead. Shaqiri follows up and fires a shot in off the bar after De Gea had got a foot to Mane's deflected cut back from the left byline.
80' - GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Man United. Shaqiri does it again! The ball falls for the Swiss from Firmino's lay off and his 20-yard shot deflects into the corner off Bailly.
KEY STATS
- Lingard ended a run of 14 away PL appearances without a goal, since scoring at Everton on New Year’s Day
- Liverpool are now 19 points ahead of Manchester United – their biggest lead over them after the first 17 games of an English top-flight season (based on relevant points for a win rules).
- Manchester United have now conceded 29 goals in the Premier League this season; one more than they did in the entirety of the 2017/18 campaign (28).
- Shaqiri is just the second player to score at least two goals in their first ever Premier League match against Manchester United for Liverpool, and the first since Nigel Clough did so back in January 1994.
- Alisson has made as many errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season as Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius combined in 2017-18 (2).
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