Result: Manchester United 2-4 Liverpool
Date: 13 May 2021
Venue: Old Trafford
Liverpool kept their top-four hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
Man United reverted to their regular line-up, with Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba playing behind lone-striker Edinson Cavani while the Reds recalled Firmino in place of Sadio Mane.
United punished Liverpool's sloppiness in the tenth minute after Fernandes fired a strike inside the box that took a huge deflection off Nathaniel Phillips.
Jurgen Klopp's charges put United under pressure after that and were initially awarded a penalty in the 26th minute after a challenge by Eric Bailly on Phillips inside the box but the referee reversed his decision after reviewing the incident on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Diogo Jota eventually levelled matters for the Reds 11 minutes before the break after diverting Phillips' strike with a back-heel past goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who denied him twice after the penalty incident.
Firmino completed the turnaround for the visitors a on the stroke of half-time with a bullet header at the back post after an inch-perfect free-kick by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Firmino gave Liverpool a bright start in the second stanza as he made it 3-1 two minutes from the break wth a tap-in after Henderson spilled Alexander-Arnold's shot.
With the Reds on the front foot, Jota should have killed the game on the hour-mark with a strike from close range that rattled the post after he was teed up by Firmino.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a tactical change in the 63rd minute as Mason Greenwood replaced Fred and Fernandes pulled a goal back five minuter later with a strike on his stride past goalkeeper Alisson after a through ball by Cavani.
Solskjaer's men had the momentum after that, with Greenwood denied the equaliser twice by blocks on the line as the hosts upped the tempo.
However, Mohamed Salah secured the three points with their fourth goal in the last minute with a curling strike past Henderson from a counter-attack, as they moved to within four points of fourth-placed Chelsea, with a game in hand.
