On 75 minutes up stepped Kobbie Mainoo with the coolest of winners before the Stretford End to cause bedlam among home fans and wrest the bragging rights Manchester United’s way.

After a raid down the left Alexis Mac Allister’s weak clearance rolled to the midfielder who beat Dominik Szoboszlai to punch home a finish that bested Freddie Woodman to the Liverpool goalkeeper’s right.

After ceding a 2-0 half-time lead this ensured a league double over the visitors for a first time in a decade. Yet zoom out, and as United and Liverpool are not in the title race this meeting of England’s heavyweights was akin to two follicly-challenged men fighting over a comb.

Michael Carrick has beaten Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool since taking over in January. That’s some achievement, even if the last two wins were less than convincing.

90+6 min Dalot misses a great chance, slicing wide after a four-on-three break. No matter…

90+5 min: Man Utd substitution Leny Yoro replaces Bruno Fernandes.

90+5 min Szoboszlai’s free-kick is headed away by Casemiro at the far post.

90+4 min Dorgu fouls Jones just inside the United half, which gives Liverpool the chance to send everyone forward.

90+2 min Fernandes is up now. At the other end, Kerkez’s attempted cutback deflects into the arms of Lammens.

90+1 min Zirkzee knocks the ball down for Fernandes, who slices well wide under pressure. He has stayed down holding his ankle.

90+1 min Kerkez concedes a needless foul on Amad, which gives United the chance to waste 30 seconds.

90+1 min There will be five minutes of added time.

90 min Casemiro finds Dorgu in space with a good square pass. Dorgu moves to within 20 yards of goal and then cracks a shot well wide of the far post.

87 min: Liverpool substitution Federico Chiesa for Ibrahima Konate, and why not.

87 min: Man Utd substitution Joshua Zirkzeee replaces Matheus Cunha, whose early goal feels a lifetime ago.

86 min If it stays like this – a Brobdingnagian if, even with only a few minutes to play – United will confirm Champions League qualification.

85 min Gakpo is booked for a foul on Casemiro.

84 min Fernandes is furious after being accidentally flattened by the referee when he was trying to get across to challenge a Liverpool player. Imagine if this leads to a goal!

It doesn’t: Gakpo’s tame shot from distance is comfortable for Lammens.

82 min Ngumoha smashes a shot a few yards wide from the edge of the area. This has been a wild second half – richly entertaining, but also indicative of why these two aren’t challenging for the title.

80 min Cunha slips Szoboszlai near the halfway line and suddenly United have a four-on-two break. Cunha eventually finds Dorgu to his left, but the pass is slightly underhit and Dorgu falls over as he tries to stumble past Jones.

Fernandes is then booked for a poor tackle on Szoboszlai.

Mainoo scored a beauty against Liverpool in his breakthrough season two years ago. This isn’t quite in the same class but it was still a lovely finish. Shaw’s cross was headed back across goal by Amad and sliced towards the edge of the D by Mac Allister. Mainoo got to the bouncing ball a split second before Szoboszlai and sidefooted a beautifully controlled finish into the corner. His anticipation and technique were immaculate.

76 min: Man Utd substiution Patrick Dorgu, who has been out since January, comes on for Bryan Mbeumo.

75 min: Liverpool substitution Rio Ngumoha replaces Jeremie Frimpong, who played an important part in Liverpool’s comeback.

75 min Jones is booked for a tactical foul on Cunha.

71 min The last time Man Utd lost a league game at home after leading by one goal at half-time, never mind two, was against Ipswich in 1983-84.

68 min: Vital save by Lammens! Szoboszlai’s wicked free-kick from the right bounces across the six-yard box, ricochets towards goal (possibly off Konate) and is kicked away desperately by Lammens.

Liverpool look the likelier winners, something that would have been unthinkable at half-time.

66 min Including today’s game, there have been 55 goals in the last 13 games between United and Liverpool. In the 13 matches before that, there were 22.

64 min United almost cut Liverpool open with a simple long ball. Kerkez has to come across a long way to make an important tackle on Mbeumo.

62 min Now it’s Liverpool who are shredding Man Utd on the break. Frimpong drives a very deep cross to Kerkez, who touches it back to Gakpo on the edge of the area. His shot deflects over the bar.

61 min United restore some order with a calmer spell of possession. They must wonder what the hell is going on after such a dominant first half.

59 min: Liverpool substitution Milos Kerkez for Andy Robertson.

58 min Maguire’s crossfield pass is controlled majestically by Fernandes on the left. He hammers an almost angry cross that is clipped over the bar by Mbeumo on the edge of the area.

Football, bloody etc. Liverpool, so wretched in the first half, are now sniffing an extraordinary victory. Heaven touched a goal-kick to Lammens, who tried to play a straight pass to Casemiro in the D. It was a poor idea, badly executed: Mac Allister intercepted it and found Szoboszlai, who calmly squared the ball to give Gakpo an open goal.

54 min Mbeumo hits the post with a flick behind his standing leg. It wouldn’t have counted because an offside against Fernandes, who nonetheless produced an outrageous first touch to kill an up-and-under from Dalot.

Had that led to a goal, we’d have been rewriting this quicksmart.

52 min “Liverpool’s problem is they’re boring and that’s why Slot is getting more grief from fans than he arguably should,” writes Graeme Neill. “There were some absolutely shocking performances at times early doors under Klopp but there was such a joyous chaos to the football that you were willing to be patient. It’s just not a lot of fun watching Liverpool this season and why bother with football if it’s not fun?”

Sir Alex Ferguson was reportedly taken to hospital from Old Trafford after feeling unwell ahead of Manchester United’s hosting of Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The move is thought to be a precautionary rather than an emergency measure regarding the 84-year-old former United manager who won 13 Premier League titles and the Champions League twice in his 27-year tenure at Old Trafford.Ferguson is a regular at United’s home games and has a row of seats in the Old Trafford directors’ box.

50 min Now Mainoo shoves Frimpong over near the touchline. United, so comfortable in the first half, look rattled.

49 min Shaw is booked for a foul of Frimpong.

The substitute Amad plays a dodgy square pass that was read and intercepted by Szoboszlai on the halfway line. He scurried at a backpedalling defence, all the while looking for a pass. Nothing was on so he veered outside Maguire on the edge of the area before sliding a precise left-foot shot back across goal. It went through the legs of Dalot and rolled into the far corner.

46 min United have made a half-time substitution. Benjamin Sesko has an injury and has been replaced by Amad Diallo.

That means Bryan Mbeumo moves to centre-forward, and he has a chance straight from the kick-off. Van Dijk jumps under the ball and Mbeumo’s shot deflects behind off Konate.

The resulting corner was headed wide by Maguire at the far post. Half a chance.

Sky Sports News are reporting that Sir Alex Ferguson is conscious and has had precautionary checks after being taken to hospital ahead of today’s game.

“The handball is a weird one,” writes Henry. “On slo-mo it looks like the slightest of brushes, which would be absurd to call a handball. But on a faster replay, the trajectory seems like it changes, from going less directly into the goal, to directly into the goal. I suspect it was going in anyway, but the original trajectory might have been sideways enough for Van Dijk to hack it clear.

“Which continues the trend of Liverpool being perhaps unlucky, but also just not good enough. The midfield looks like it’s never played together, and the less said about Mac Allister the better. It’s the kind of non-performance that makes you wonder about the coach... where is the defensive structure or composure?!”

Roy Keane on Liverpool

They look frightened to death. They’ve been dreadful. Liverpool are like a five-a-side team – but a bad five-a-side team. They’re not athletic and they give the ball away cheaply.

Half-time reading

45+3 min Fernandes passes a corner towards Mbeumo on the edge of the box. His shot is blocked by Van Dijk.

45+1 min Four minutes of added time. The impressive teenager Ayden Heaven gets a big cheer from the home fans after a well-judged sliding tackle on Frimpong.

45 min At the other end, Gravenberch and Wirtz have shots blocked – the latter by the head of Maguire, who slipped and was in a horizontal position when the ball boinged off the side of his head. I think there was an offside before Wirtz’s shot.

44 min Cunha has a shot blocked after an imaginative free-kick from Fernandes. The ball runs to Konate, who seems to freeze eight yards from his own goal and is harassed by Sesko and Cunha. The ball ricochets off somebody and is kept out by Woodman.

41 min Gravenberch has a pop from distance. It’s too straight and Lammens saves easily.

40 min Man Utd have kept Liverpool at arm’s length throughout the first half. But they haven’t been as clinical as they might on the break and because of that Liverpool are still in the contest. If they get the next goal, the mood will change in an instant.

39 min “There’s an enjoyable twist to fairly defending managers by comparing them to the greatest manager of all time,” writes Zach Neeley. “‘Give me another chance and I will improve. Just not like that to be clear, I can’t do that.’”

38 min We’ve just seen blown-up footage of Sesko’s goal. His fingernails probably did scrape the ball before it hit his chest and bounced into the net. The operative word is ‘probably’ – I can understand why VAR decided the evidence wasn’t conclusive. Equally, were I a Liverpool fan I’d be hacked off as it probably was handball.

34 min Incidentally, Bruno Fernandes won’t get an assist for Sesko’s goal because of Woodman’s touch. Don’t get me started on Alexander Isak’s non-assist at Goodison…

Nothing much is happening in this game; United are in control with and without the ball.

32 min Some breaking news: Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital from Old Trafford after feeling unwell before today’s game. It sounds like a precaution rather than anything more serious, but we’ll have more details at half-time.

30 min “Managers are fired too soon these days, and in a reasonable world Slot would get another season,” says Zach Neeley, lining up the inevitable ‘but’, “but I must admit there is a foul smell to his work this season.

“If the team was convinced the title was a well-made and well-taught team mostly doing it on their own, then it makes sense to get it over with.”

I fear for Slot, especially with Xabi Alonso available, but I can’t abide the culture of sacking managers at the first sign of trouble. Does 11, 2, 11, 13, 6, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 mean nothing?!

28 min At the other end, Wirtz shoots well wide from the edge of the area.

24 min Cody Gakpo, who hit the woodwork about 48 times in the return fixture at Anfield, whacks an excellent curling shot just wide from 25 yards. Lammens may have had it covered but it was a fine effort.

23 min “What has to happen for Mr. Slot to be released?” wonders Jeff Sax.

For him to have not win the Premier League last season?

22 min Konate gets away with a clear foul on Sesko, shoving him off the field and onto the running track. The referee was a fair way behind play because of the speed at which United broke.

20 min Sesko’s goal was his 11th in the Premier League this season, nine of them since the start of 2026.

19 min The match situation is perfect for Man Utd, who can sit deep and hit Liverpool on the break.

Goal given! There’s no conclusive evidence of handball by Sesko so the goal stands.

VAR check ongoing After a longish spell of Liverpool possession, Man Utd broke devastatingly down the right. Fernandes played a marvellous first-time pass/cross to Sesko, whose close-range shot was well saved by Woodman. Sesko. wanted a penalty but I think he just lost his balance slightly.

Either way, play continued and a deep cross from the left was headed back across goal by Fernandes. The diving Woodman tried to palm the ball away but it hit Sesko and rebounded slowly into the net.

Sesko was definitely onside for the goal – but the ball may have brushed his fingers before it hit his chest and rebounded into the net.

In other news, Bournemouth have gone 3-0 ahead against Crystal Palace. The ears of Andoni Iraola’s agent are going to have a busy summer.

9 min Cunha scored winners at Arsenal and Chelsea earlier in the season; he also came off the bench to create the second when they beat Manchester City. His goal today was fortunate, but it also fits the profile.

8 min Gakpo heads wide from Frimpong’s cross, though he was offside.

Mbeumo’s corner was headed away but not out of danger by Robertson. Cunha, lurking on the edge of the area, had a right-foot shot blocked by Gravenberch. The ball rebounded to Cunha, whose mishit left-foot shot took a big deflection off Mac Allister and bounced into the far corner.

6 min United are making the early running. Dalot finds Mbeumo, whose driven cross to the near post is turned behind by Konate.

4 min A teasing cross from Mbeumo just evades Sesko, who leapt between Konate and Jones at the far post. I think he jumped too early.

Just before that, a nervous clearance from Woodman went straight to Mbeumo.

3 min “Who would have predicted at the start of the season that, come matchday 35, United would be in the top four, let alone above Liverpool?” wonders Krishnamoorthy V. “The glorious uncertainty that keeps the game alive.”

Gary Neville?

2 min Liverpool have started with Gakpo on the left and Wirtz and Szoboszlai as a pair of false nines. It’s similar to the formation that worked so well at the Etihad last season.

1 min Dominik Szoboszlai is on kick-off duty for Liverpool, who are kicking from right to left as we watch. Liverpool haev had plenty of recent success at Old Trafford, including a 3-0 win last season and a 5-0 romp in 2021-22.

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“While Mo Salah’s record against Utd truly is startling,” says Ian Copestake, “the four goals Fernando Torres scored in his time are imprinted so deeply they should be measured in cat years.”

How are you measuring Nemanja Vidic’s red cards when Torres terrorised him?

A reminder of the teams

Man Utd (4-2-3-1) Lamments; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.

Subs: Bayindir, Dorgu, Malacia, Mazraoui, Yoro, Mount, Ugarte, Amad, Zirkzee.

Liverpool (possible 4-2-3-1) Woodman; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo.

Subs: Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Nyoni, Morrison, Ngumoha, Ndiaye, Wright.

Referee Darren England.

Michael Carrick’s pre-match thoughts

We knew [Cunha’s injury] wasn’t a serious one. As a squad we look strong – we’ve got good options to finish the game as well.

We know this is a massive game, regardless of the league table or anything else, and I’ve been close to it for so long. Being in the away end [at Anfield in 2015-16, the last time Man Utd did the double over Liverpool] was a great experience and it gives you a different perspective, but today’s a new game. If we could win today it’ll be big for us.

We want to attack the game as best we can. We started really well [against Brentford] but then we had to manage the game against a good team. Both teams will want to take the ball today – it’ll be a tight game between two even teams.

[On the chance to beat City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool since taking over] It’s not about me. This game’s never been about individuals. I’ve never gone into this game thinking about myself, and I don’t think anyone is in that dressing-room. It’s as big one today for many reasons.

“I shall be watching this match in a pub with no mobile signal,” boasts Matt Dony, “living like it’s 1998. (Except without the curtains haircut and notepad full of bad lyrics.) As I won’t be able to follow the MBM, here are a few emails to cover most eventualities…

“Yes, get in! I never doubted Slot! The early-season Wirtz-scepticism was maddening knee-jerkery! That screamer from 30 yards, he must have a foot like a traction engine!

“Ah well, there’s less shame in losing to this United than Amorim’s rabble. And Fernandes is a quality player who has arguably wasted his best years carrying a sub-standard team.

“A draw feels like a fair result, given their respective positions. And it was a relatively jeopardy-free game, what with Champions League football being almost guaranteed for both.

“Wow, I can’t believe both Manchester clubs have entered voluntary liquidation, and Arsenal have been hit with a 30-point deduction! Did not see any of that coming! Still, we’ll enjoy the title celebrations.”

“Thanks to the Isak injury, yet again Slot is forced to fight fires rather than just manage,” laments Ian Copestake. “Unless it is in January, I hope one day he will be able to say, ‘same team as last year.’”

Now that would be a turn up for the Trent.

Sky Sports reckon Curtis Jones will play right-back for Liverpool with Jeremie Frimpong in midfield. This is how they have the formation.

Liverpool (possible 4-2-3-1) Woodman; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo.

“Without looking, how many times have Liverpool let in two or more goals this season?” writes Virgil van Dijk’s Ghost. “As Richie Benaud would say… Chwenty Choo. An astonishing number of times.”

That’s a statgasm and a half.

Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts

It’s a fantastic game to be part of, especially if you win.

[On Alexander Isak] After the season we’ve had, nobody can be surprised that we have more injuries. It wasn’t much, but unfortunately it was too much for him to be able to play today.

Injuries can never be an excuse not to perform; we all have to prove ourselves today.

I think one win would probably be enough [to secure Champions League football]. Let’s take it game by game.

It was two years ago that Jamie Carragher offered Casemiro a rather withering piece of advice: “Leave the football before the football leaves you.” Fast forward to this season and the Brazilian’s record for Manchester United reads: nine goals (second only to Benjamin Sesko), two assists, and 2,417 minutes played in 31 starts from a total of 32 appearances, with 13 games finished, including seven of the past nine.

Consider, too, how the January announcement of Casemiro’s departure from United at the end of the current campaign has led to supporters pleading with the 34-year-old to stay, and that Casemiro is again a midfield first-choice for his national team in the buildup to a World Cup.

As ripostes to a pundit advising you to retire go, Casemiro’s has been emphatic, not to mention revealing of a strong character given Carragher’s words, delivered on Monday Night Football following United’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in May 2024, came at a time when Casemiro did indeed appear to be heading for an Old Trafford exit amid a downturn in his performances.

Eli Junior Kroupi, Bournemouth’s brilliant teenage attacker, has just doubled their lead from the penalty spot.

In the early Premier League game at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth lead Crystal Palace 1-0 after half an hour thanks to an own goal from their former player Jefferson Lerma. If it stays like that, Bournemouth will be sixth in the table.

That said, as Man Utd v Liverpool games go, this feels a bit mid. Both sides have all but qualified for next season’s Champions League, so there isn’t a huge amount riding on this game. The good news for lovers of anticipation is that this remains the biggest rivalry in English football, and the wider context is only ever part of the story. It’s Man Utd v Liverpool for goodness sake!