Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0 (1-0) in the 23rd round of the Premier League. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah scored for the Reds.
With Leicester City (1-2 against Burnley) and Manchester City (2-2 against Crystal Palace), Liverpool extended their lead to 16 points. Coach Jurgen Klopp’s team also has one game less. The duel with West Ham has been postponed until 29 January due to the Club World Cup.
In the top match against United, Liverpool were the dominant team. United had two great chances thanks to Pereira (41st) and Martial (59th), but the defeat at Anfield Road was entirely justified.
“We had problems at the same time last season, so we have to stay calm and focus on every game,” Salah said of the Reds’ incredible consistency. On 66 possible points, Liverpool scored 64th place captain Jordan Henderson stressed the importance of staying hungry and thinking from match to match.
Liverpool FC are deprived of two goals
Liverpool combined against United at will and continued to push the Red Devils deep into their own half. The Reds scored two more goals after van Dijk’s lead (14th). Firmino scored the first goal to make it 2-0 (25th), but van Dijk had earlier tackled De Gea too hard in an aerial duel.
In the 36th minute Liverpool cheered again – but again only briefly. Wijnaldum scored after a perfect play by Oxlade-Chamberlain but was narrowly sidelined.
“The start of the second half was absolutely brutal – wow. We had, I don’t know, at least three or four chances and we didn’t hit. Just as it has been quite often this season. The opponent had a chance to come back,” Klopp warned after the whistle of the match.
In the final stages, as in the first minutes of the match, United was once again offensive and courageous, but without becoming really dangerous. The elevation came too late. Instead, Salah made the decision just before the end after an outstanding play by Alisson.
Liverpool are unbeaten in 39 league games. Only Chelsea (40 games between 2004 and 2005) and Arsenal (49 between 2003 and 2004) remained undefeated for longer. Liverpool host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday (9pm on LIVE Ticker).
| Place | Team | Sp. | Objectives | Diff | Pkt. |
| 1. | Liverpool FC | 22 | 52:14 | 38 | 64 |
| 2. | Manchester City | 23 | 64:27 | 37 | 48 |
| 3. | City of Leicester | 23 | 48:23 | 25 | 45 |
| 4. | Chelsea F.C. | 23 | 39:30 | 9 | 39 |
| 5. | Manchester United | 23 | 36:27 | 9 | 34 |
| 6. | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 23 | 34:30 | 4 | 34 |
| 7. | Sheffield United | 23 | 25:22 | 3 | 33 |
| 8. | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | 36:31 | 5 | 31 |
| 9. | Crystal Palace | 23 | 22:26 | -4 | 30 |
| 10. | Arsenal FC | 23 | 30:32 | -2 | 29 |
| 11. | Everton F.C. | 23 | 26:33 | -7 | 29 |
| 12. | Newcastle United | 23 | 22:34 | -12 | 29 |
| 13. | Southampton F.C. | 23 | 29:42 | -13 | 28 |
| 14. | Burnley F.C. | 23 | 26:38 | -12 | 27 |
| 15. | Brighton and Hove Albion | 23 | 26:31 | -5 | 25 |
| 16. | West Ham United | 22 | 26:34 | -8 | 23 |
| 17. | Watford F.C. | 23 | 20:34 | -14 | 23 |
| 18. | Aston Villa | 23 | 29:44 | -15 | 22 |
| 19. | AFC Bournemouth | 23 | 20:36 | -16 | 20 |
| 10M | Norwich City | 23 | 23:45 | -22 | 17 |