In the 2023-24 Premier League Matchday 32, the battle between Manchester United and Liverpool ended in a 2-2 draw. United's resilient defense held strong, and with brilliant goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, they ultimately secured a point.

On the other hand, Liverpool, who needed a win to maintain their lead at the top of the league, dominated the game and created many chances throughout the match. However, the hard-fought draw proved costly in their bid to stay in the fiercely contested "three-way title race."

Lack of Offensive Intent from Manchester United

The home team, Manchester United, was dominated throughout the match and constantly struggled against Liverpool's pressing. This exposed their problems in offensive phases, such as building up from their own half and their passing work in the opponent’s half — in other words, their "inability to maintain possession" became evident.

However, when United did maintain possession, there were "positive signs starting from the right flank." Diogo Dalot provided width, Alejandro Garnacho made runs between the lines, and Mainoo showed good combination play with Casemiro. These offensive movements demonstrated some promising link-ups. Yet, they were intermittent and unstable, failing to develop into effective attacking sequences.

On the left side, Aaron Wan-Bissaka remained committed to his defensive duties, while Rashford maintained width, and Fernandes roamed around the left half-space. However, the offense initiated from the left flank was largely ineffective, and ultimately, the team as a whole was unable to spark their attack.


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Liverpool pressed with their usual compact 4-3-3 formation, forcing United into long balls and errors in possession. Erik ten Hag's team appeared unaccustomed to playing under such pressure, and they seemed to lack clear ideas for creating free men during their build-up play.

As a result of these combined factors, United ended the first half without scoring. Although they managed to score two goals in the second half, these were more the result of "individual brilliance" rather than a well-executed "team-oriented offensive process."

Liverpool Took Control of the Game

For about the first 10 minutes, Liverpool struggled to execute their usual "possession-dominant" style due to United's intense man-to-man tactics. However, as they gradually began to control the ball, Liverpool's high level of technical and tactical play slowly started to take effect.

United continued to counter Liverpool with traditional man-to-man marking. However, Liverpool’s skillful movement and passing gradually neutralized United’s pressing. In particular, the midfield trio of Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Alexis Mac Allister consistently broke through United’s pressure with ease, creating passing lanes.

Mac Allister, in particular, played a pivotal role. Positioned as a central midfielder, he often dropped deeper during the buildup to facilitate left-back Andrew Robertson's overlapping runs, which revitalized the left side. Robertson frequently joined the attack after shaking off Garnacho's marking, leaving Diogo Dalot having to deal with both Luis Diaz and Robertson, causing chaos in United’s defense.


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Manchester United's midfielders, Mainoo and Fernandes, stepped forward to put pressure on Liverpool's midfield, but this left space around Casemiro, exposing United to even more of Liverpool's attacks. Moreover, due to Liverpool's quick passing and coordinated play, United’s midfield lacked sharpness, and there were several instances where they were easily bypassed.

A Stunning Comeback Goal at Old Trafford…

After Liverpool’s Diaz scored the opening goal before halftime, United quickly equalized early in the second half with a brilliant long shot from Fernandes. They then took the lead with a sensational goal by Mainoo. To strengthen their defensive stance, manager Ten Hag replaced Garnacho with Amrabat to try and hold onto the lead.

However, in the closing stages, Harvey Elliott was brought down in the penalty area, earning Liverpool a penalty. Star player Mohamed Salah confidently converted the spot-kick. United, in turn, showed an aggressive approach by bringing on Antony in the dying moments but couldn’t find a winning goal before the final whistle. Meanwhile, Liverpool, having clawed back to equalize at the last moment, managed to secure a hard-earned point.


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Manchester United briefly managed to pull ahead, seemingly on the verge of victory. However, a late goal meant they had to settle for sharing a point. Nevertheless, the comeback — from trailing by one goal to Liverpool at halftime, to leveling and then taking the lead — ultimately helped United secure a point and should provide a significant confidence boost as they look toward future matches.

Summary

Manchester United appeared to be clearly outmatched in terms of both tactics and technique compared to their opponent. Throughout the game, United’s midfield struggled, and they found it difficult to create scoring opportunities in front of the opposition’s goal. If they continue to rely on individual tactics in a “player-dependent” approach, it seems likely that United will be left waiting for limited scoring chances, relying on luck to score.

On the other hand, for Liverpool, who dominated the game, this result is undoubtedly disappointing. As a consequence, Liverpool now sits level with Arsenal on 71 points but has surrendered the top spot to Arsenal on goal difference. Meanwhile, third-placed Manchester City trails by just one point, and the pressure remains intense for each team to avoid dropping a single match in this tight race.