JURGEN KLOPP wanted to take the passion out this fixture in the run-up to the game.
It’s the only thing he has failed to do all season.
Van Dijk leaped highest to head home the openerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Mo Salah scored Liverpool’s second late in the gameCredit: Getty Images – Getty
As the Kop chanted ‘We-re going to win the League’ Anfield finally believed… they have not been able to sing that for 30 years.
They can now, from now until mid May, probably mid-April actually. The gap is 16 points now, and stretching.
Had they lost this game of course it would have mattered little in the long-run, the fact they won makes this incredible march to the title they are on all the more special.
Virgil van Dijk’s 14th-minute header parted the sides until Mohamed Salah made it two in injury time.
Liverpool’s periods of dominance deserved the victory, United’s missed chances cost them the chance of an unlikely point.
Klopp wanted to dial down the emotion so Liverpool would not be dragged into a scrap, so their superior ability came through.
It did anyway, and they fought as well, and they won.
Klopp’s reaction when Salah added the second suggested this was a man who was not in check with his emotions.
Liverpool actually had the ball in the net three times in the first half.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was thankful for the officials here and in Stockley Park that only one was allowed.
That came in the when Trent Alexander-Arnold swung over a corner and Virgil Van-Dijk powered home a header.
United’s defending of it was awful; Brandon Williams lost his man, Harry Maguire was blocked off by Joe Gomez from getting to him and Van Dijk met the ball perfectly.
The Dutchman celebrates heading Liverpool in frontCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Mo Salah celebrates hitting the targetCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Nobody has conceded more than the eight goals United have in the Premier League this season from corners.
Liverpool thought they had their second on 24 minutes when that man Van Dijk caused more problems challenging David De Gea for a high ball that the United goalkeeper spilled.
Referee Craig Pawson allowed play to go on and Roberto Firmino curled a shot in.
United’s players were furious, it went to VAR and the goal was ruled out. There was contact and goalkeepers always get the benefit of the doubt.
It’s fair to say Sky TV pundits Roy Keane and Graeme Souness were having none of it while Patrice Evra said foul.
It was a judgement call, not a fact – unlike the next goal chalked off when Georginio Wijnaldum was offside.
Only just mind you, but enough for the assistant referee to see it without the help of blue and red lines after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian put the ball through.
It was a fine finish low past De Gea into the far corner but it didn’t count.
For all Liverpool’s dominance United had a chance to equalise before the break but Andreas Pereira somehow failed to get a toe on Wan-Bissaka’s cross to him at the far post.
While United had managed to take some of the sting out the game towards the end of the half they were on the back foot again as soon as the second period began.
Liverpool had a second ruled out for this foul on De GeaCredit: Reuters
Wijnaldum also had a goal disallowed for offsideCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Indeed in the first ten minutes after the teams swapped around The Kop end witnessed seven attempts from Klopp’s rampant side.
The best of those was a thumping drive from Jordan Henderson which De Gea’s outstretched fingertips flicked onto the right-hand upright. It was some save.
Still, the gap was only one goal and United got another chance to level it.
Anthony Martial played a neat one-two with Pereira, he was in on an angle but the shot was wild and wide. No composure, the moment too big, what a waste.
Those who think this man can go on to join the pantheon of great United goalscorers need to forget it.
With Marcus Rashford now out for a while with a stress fracture in his back Solskjaer is once again going to be struggling for goals.
He must be wondering how the lure of United was not enough for Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian came on for his Bundesliga debut on Saturday having chosen Borussia Dortmund instead.
He was a second-half substitute away to Augsburg and turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 win with a 20-minute hat-trick.
As with the first half, United were able to weather the Liverpool storm and get some foothold in the game.
Indeed a Martial cross in the 78th-minute offered substitute Mason Greenwood a chance but he flicked his head in a bid to make contact before the ball got there and missed it.
Last chance gone.
In the third minute of injury time the scoreline was given a deserved look as goalkeeper Alisson launched a ball forward, Mo Salah outran Daniel James and slotted the ball past De Gea.
Job done. Title almost won. It’s just a matter of when the trophy is delivered to Anfield.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
