But these images below give some indication.
It led indirectly to the opener, when Liverpool, freely moving down the left again with Garnacho nowhere in sight, cut the ball back, ultimately winning a corner from which Luis Diaz scored.
Man Utd’s disorganised midfield creates chaos
Man Utd’s remarkably open midfield was just as prominent in the second half, but the difference from the first was that Liverpool – once they conceded – were pulled into the chaos a little too much.
It’s hard to emphasise just how unprecedented this United shape was; how decompressed the lines were; how seemingly randomly the players are positioned; and how often Kobbie Mainoo in particular ran ahead of play, emptying the middle.
But these images below give some indication.
Note how Bruno Fernandes presses on his own, Casemiro is slow to back him up, Mainoo is man-marking Alexis Mac Allister rather than cover the space, and the centre-backs don’t step up, creating a zig-zag shape and a huge hole in the middle.
From here, Liverpool lost control, seizing up under pressure. That is the only way to explain United’s second goal, which saw Aaron Wan-Bissaka get into space down the left and play a cutback for Mainoo, unmarked and not closed down.
In other words, it was a goal that had exactly the defensive flaws Man Utd had been showing; a weird moment befitting a very weird match.
The next 20 minutes were like a basketball game, and truly anything could have happened. It is beyond analysis, but after screaming at his players to calm down for what seemed like a quarter of an hour, Klopp’s message was finally heard.
Elliott introduction helps Liverpool regain control
Liverpool slowed the game down, rediscovered their composure and thus began a final 20 minutes of Liverpool pressure as Man Utd sat back.
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