Mainoo strike sinks Liverpool and secures Champions League football for Man United

Manchester United 3 

Liverpool 2

KOBBIE MAINOO CELEBRATED his new deal in style as the homegrown Manchester United star sealed a helter-skelter 3-2 victory against arch-rivals Liverpool and Champions League qualification.

Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated Premier League encounter pitted third against fourth at Old Trafford, where United roared out of the blocks as Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko struck inside the opening 14 minutes.

But United gifted Arne Slot’s stumbling side a way back just after half-time, with substitute Amad Diallo’s misplaced pass punished by Dominik Szoboszlai before Cody Gakpo levelled the scores following a Senne Lammens blunder.

Play continued at a frenetic pace before academy graduate Mainoo settled things in the 77th minute, slamming home in front of the Stretford End just days after committing his future to the club until 2031.

United’s victory ensured they did the league double over Liverpool for the first time since 2015-16 and secured Champions League football with three games to spare as boss Michael Carrick furthered his case for the long-term role.

Alex Ferguson was unable to watch Sunday’s match having felt unwell before kick-off and being taken to hospital.

United fans chanted his name towards the end of a first half that their side began at breakneck pace.

Cunha, back in the side after a hip complaint, saw an initial effort from a half-cleared corner blocked but managed to get another away, striking into the ground and off Alexis Mac Allister to spark bedlam in the sixth minute.

Carrick’s side kept up the pressure and Freddie Woodman got his fingertips to a 14th minute prod on goal by Sesko, but Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper could not deny him for long.

United kept the move alive and Luke Shaw’s cross was headed back across goal by Bruno Fernandes, with Woodman only able to push into the bundling striker.

Sesko wheeled off in celebration and further cheers greeted the award of the goal following a lengthy VAR check into a potential handball by the Slovenia striker.

Liverpool showed some fight, from Ibrahima Konate knocking Sesko into the advertising hoardings to Gakpo slamming narrowly wide, but Slot’s side still looked disjointed.

Skipper Fernandes fired just wide as United pushed for another before a break that limping Sesko did not return from.

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Amad replaced him and saw a lax pass cut out by Szoboszlai just inside his own half inside two minutes of the restart, with the Liverpool midfielder confidently running at Harry Maguire before cutting away and scoring a low left-footed shot.

The United defender headed narrowly wide as they sought to restore their two-goal cushion, while Bryan Mbeumo saw a superb flicked from Fernandes’ pass hit the foot of a post before offside was called.

Liverpool showed weakness but were handed a 56th-minute equaliser.

Mac Allister read normally dependable Lammens’ woeful pass out from the back, with the midfielder playing for Szoboszlai to play a quick ball for Gakpo to score.

Play swung from end to end as fans traded chants, some more unsavoury than others, with Lammens forced to clear off the line before Casemiro planted a free header from a free-kick straight at Woodman.

The next goal felt like it would be decisive and arrived in the 77th minute in front of an elated Stretford End.

Liverpool failed to effectively clear a cross and Mainoo ran onto the loose ball on the edge of the box, avoiding sliding Szoboszlai’s challenge to slam into the bottom left-hand corner.

Substitute Rio Ngumoha looked lively and whistled a shot narrowly wide, with Lammens dealing with a deflected cross as United held out for the win.

Earlier in the Premier League, Bournemouth boosted their European hopes with a thumping 3-0 win over woeful Crystal Palace.

A calamitous own goal from former Cherries midfielder Jefferson Lerma and Junior Kroupi’s 32nd-minute penalty set the in-form hosts on course to climb to sixth place in the table.

Brazilian winger Rayan completed the scoring 13 minutes from time as Andoni Iraola’s side stretched their remarkable unbeaten run to 15 top-flight games in convincing fashion.

Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.