Divyansh
Manchester United Stun Liverpool: FA Cup Review
“ A Thrilling FA Cup derby”~ Divyansh
Man United beat Liverpool in a crazy FA Cup game. It was 2-2 after 90 minutes, but United scored twice in extra time. Amad Diallo scored the winner right at the end! Liverpool dreamed of winning a quadruple, but that’s over now. United are going to Wembley for the semi-finals.
Manchester United and Liverpool run it back
“Anthony scored a goal. Klopp should be sacked on conceding from Anthony alone of all players” ~Divyansh
No one expected Ten Hag’s Manchester United, who were already out of the Champions League, to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup by scoring a last-minute goal.
It was an incredible match, no matter who won. A real blockbuster game with tactics missed chances, and great moments from players like what I call him…The Beyblade… Antony. An absolute thriller that any football fan would have enjoyed.
But in the end, Amad scored the dramatic late winner to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup. What a climax to the game!
United Surprised everyone even themselves
“I can just watch Kobbie Mainoo on the ball for hours…honestly, I’d rather watch that than any trending reel” ~Divyansh
Before the match, I didn’t expect much from Ten Hag’s Manchester United. I thought they might try to limit the damage against Liverpool.
But in the first half, United played well and Liverpool looked lost. The team was pressing hard and moving the ball with confidence. The emerging youngster, Kobbie Mainoo, impressed everyone with his excellent positioning and composure.
United weren’t just trying to defend – they took the game to Liverpool for long periods and outplayed them in that opening 45 minutes. It was a brave, confident performance that few anticipated from Ten Hag’s side.
Even though United played well, their pressing system is still a weakness under Ten Hag. But Liverpool surprisingly failed to exploit that flaw.
You could argue Liverpool was missing some key players, but so was United. And Liverpool’s players may have been tired from their previous game, while United had more rest.
But if Liverpool had won, no one would be making excuses about missing players or fatigue. The only reason it’s being discussed is because United won the game
Ten Hag deserves praise for outsmarting Klopp with his substitutions. Playing Wan-Bissaka at left-back helped deal with Salah’s 1v1 threat, which was clever.
Sticking with the consistent Dalot at right-back was also a good call. He always contributes whether United wins or loses.
Ten Hag’s go-to substitution was McTominay, who comes on and makes an impact like a super sub. Ten Hag thinks of him as his savior, whenever in trouble he fires his Brahmastra named Scott McTominay, and it always works,
Credit also to Bruno Fernandes, who played through an injury grinding it out. Rashford and Garnacho also put on impressive performances. Onana, who was particularly good at distributing the ball, also stood out.
There was even a crazy moment when winger Antony had to fill in at left-back, while Bruno played as an emergency center-back! Maguire was playing as a striker at one point – he must have thought he was Pique under Koeman!
Højlund is becoming popular and well-known for the things he does on the field. In this match, he again showed why he’s getting so much attention and praise. His performance here displayed his qualities perfectly.
So Ten Hag’s in-game management, smart substitutions, and United’s key players all combined to get them a big win over Liverpool.
Ineffective Liverpool & Vulnerable United
“The gaps & spaces in United’s midfield were large enough for me to build 3 hotels there” ~Divyansh
Liverpool didn’t play that badly, but United scared them early on. The way United started so bravely, it looked like they could score a goal or two – which they eventually did.
The problem for Liverpool was that Salah couldn’t get on the ball much. United’s defense was also pretty good.
Yet, United’s biggest issue was their lack of midfield cover when attacking. There was so much space in the middle that Liverpool could have exploited on the counter, but shockingly they failed to take advantage.
Liverpool wasn’t bad. But United’s bold start, tough defense, and their handling of Salah gave them troubles they couldn’t fix.
Liverpool weren’t bad. But United’s bold start, tough defense, and their handling of Salah gave them troubles they couldn’t fix.
Mac Allister did help Liverpool improve after coming on at half-time. But the reason United had issues was their lack of midfield cover when attacking and losing the ball.
The problem was when United lost possession, there was confusion over their defensive lines. The front line was the attackers, the back line the defenders, but who formed the midfield line?
Was it just Mainoo as the lone defensive mid? Where were McTominay and Bruno supposed to be? There seemed no clear instruction from Ten Hag on this, which is one of his weaknesses.
Liverpool could have exploited the spaces United left in midfield when attacking but failed to do so. This structural flaw is something Ten Hag needs to fix, as it leaves United very open at times.
United’s Unpredictable nature
“Despite being average under Ten Hag United somehow find a way to make things happen” ~Divyansh
United created many chances in attack and Rashford should have scored late on. But United also largely kept Liverpool’s attack quiet for most of the game.
In the second half, Liverpool was the better side – like the City game where United couldn’t get on the ball. But United are so unpredictable that players like Garnacho can spark a counter-attack out of nowhere.
That’s exactly what happened when United equalized. Liverpool then went on the back foot, inviting United’s press. It seemed Liverpool only wanted to clear their lines as a confident United pushed for a winner in injury time, which they eventually got.
United couldn’t maintain their intensity throughout the entire game. but their fight-back in 2nd half and late pressure showed their quality and mentality against a top side.
United’s biggest flaw is their inability to maintain a consistent game state. They either reach such high levels that they play peak Ten Hag ball, or they drop so low that it’s like asking how much water is in the sewer line.
Conclusion
“United does not have the right player for the football that Ten Hag wants to play” ~Divyansh
The real issue is that United’s players can’t properly execute Ten Hag’s playing style, especially in midfield. Mainoo and Wan-Bissaka had good games, but others struggled.
Garnacho worked hard, & as we know Rashford’s work rate isn’t great, which is why he was told to stay high up the pitch.
Sometimes games are just about the result over tactics. Today is a special day for United fans. They shattered Liverpool’s dream of winning four trophies, known as “The Quadruple,” by securing a late victory at home in Klopp’s final season.
United produced some chaos, but they’ll take dramatically beating their big rivals, no matter how messy the performance. It’s a day for United supporters to enjoy.
