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UNITED DIDN’T EXPLOIT LIVERPOOL’S INJURY WOES- OGS

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt his side missed an opportunity to end Liverpool’s long unbeaten home league record after failing to “pounce” on their injury problems.

With no fit centre-backs again, the hosts fielded midfield duo Fabinho and Jordan Henderson in the centre of their defence but the pair were not really exposed, even if goalkeeper Alisson Becker had to make two good saves to keep out Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba in the goalless draw.

The top-of-the-table clash failed to live up to its billing and there was not even a penalty incident never mind a controversy, one of the major points of debate leading up to the fixture, to talk about over the course of 90 minutes.

But Solskjaer admits United left Anfield disappointed they were not able to open up a six-point gap over their arch-rivals at the top.

“They are a good side and they have some injury problems but we didn’t pounce on that,” he said. “I felt we grew into the game and got stronger and stronger and were closer to winning.

“We were a bit disappointed in the performance, not just the result.

“We didn’t do well enough to cause them problems in the first half but we defended well and they didn’t create too many chances.

We know we have players who can win you a game in the blink of a second and Bruno and Paul almost did.

“But I think everyone was a bit disappointed with the way we started the game but that is a good feeling to have that we were disappointed in the performance.”

Although Liverpool’s long unbeaten home league run was extended to 68 games they failed to properly test David De Gea in the visitors’ goal and for the first time since March 2005 the Reds have failed to score in three consecutive league matches.

Manager Jurgen Klopp insists he was happy with the performance as chances are still being created – they had 18 shots but only three were on target – and he is confident the goals will return.

We have a point more than before the game,” he said. “I think the performance was good enough to win it but to win a game you have to score goals and we didn’t do that, so that’s why we had that result.

“There is nothing fundamentally different, it is just the result is different.

“We try and score and we try not to not score. We have not to worry about it but we obviously have to ignore the fact and hope it will be good again.

“We did that, but the only possibility we have is to create situations and be ready to fail and do it again.

That is a massive different to when you are flying, because then you deal with the missed chances better.

“I saw my team playing tonight a really good team with a clear idea with super passes and great counter-pressing and great desire to score and we didn’t score.

“We will create chances and we will score. It is not as if we decide we will score a goal and now we will do it.

“I will help as much as I can to change the situation.”

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UNITED RETAIN TOP SPOT AFTER EARNING A POINT AT ANFIELD.

Manchester United kept their place at the top of the Premier League table with a goalless draw at defending champions Liverpool, as goalkeeper Alisson’s heroics denied them a victory at Anfield.

Liverpool enjoyed much of the first-half possession and created several chances, including Andy Robertson’s half-volley over the crossbar and Roberto Firmino’s tame effort into the hands of David De Gea.

Man Utd came close to breaking the deadlock with their only shot of the opening period, Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick flying inches wide of Alisson’s goal.

After the break, Harry Maguire denied Roberto Firmino a tap-in before Mohamed Salah fired wide for the hosts.

Alisson then kept out Fernandes with a fine reaction save before superbly keeping out Paul Pogba’s close-range strike late on, either side of Thiago forcing De Gea to palm his long-range shot wide.

A 12th match unbeaten takes Man Utd to 37 points, two more than second-placed Leicester City.

Liverpool are three points behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team in third.

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SALAH DONATES OXYGEN TANKS TO HOME TOWN IN FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has donated oxygen and an ambulance to his home village in Egypt to help locals treat people suffering with COVID-19 as the country battles a second wave of infections.

The 28-year-old tested positive for the coronavirus last November.

“We have 14 oxygen cylinders inside the Mohamed Salah Charity Foundation. These help people in the village of Nagrig [Salah’s hometown], as well as those from surrounding villages,” Hassan Bakr, the head of the charity, said.

Bakr delivers oxygen cylinders direct to patients homes.

“We also have an ambulance unit built by Mohamed Salah, which has been operating since July 2020… this also helped us during the coronavirus, when transporting patients to the isolation hospitals,” he added.

Salah maintains deep connections with the village where he grew up, some 130 kilometres north of Cairo, and donates around £47,000 each year to the Mohamed Salah Charity Foundation.

Egypt’s government has confirmed 150,753 infections and 8,249 deaths since the start of the pandemic more than 10 months ago.

However, health officials say the real number is likely far higher because of the relatively low rate of coronavirus testing and the exclusion of private test results.

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KLOPP ESCAPES FA SANCTION DESPITE COMMENTS ON MANCHESTER UNITED PENALTIES.

Jurgen Klopp has escaped an FA fine despite criticising Andre Marriner and questioning Manchester United’s penalty record.

The German made the comments after his sides 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Monday evening. Klopp felt his side should have had a penalty in the first half when Sadio Mane went down after a collision with Kyle Walker-Peters.

Liverpool’s goalless performance led to only their second defeat of the season and United, who are level on points with a game in hand, now have a chance to go ahead.

Annoyed by the decision, Klopp claimed Marriner did not handle the Mane moment properly. Not stopping there, the Reds boss also questioned United’s large number of penalties. Across the 2018/19 and 19/20 seasons United were awarded 11 more penalties than any other team in the league.

But despite his comments, Klopp will face no action, according to reports.

“We had a really good view of it [the Mane incident], and it looked like a clear penalty,” said Klopp at full-time. “I turned around to the fourth official and asked if it was going to be checked, he said it already had been and was not a penalty. That’s 100 per cent true, and now someone wants to tell me how quick they had it in all these different angles.

Last year, there was a penalty against Leicester when people said Sadio Mane goes down too easily – if he goes down easily, we would have had a penalty in this game and the last game, a stonewall penalty, but what Andre Marriner did with Sadio Mane I’m not sure if that’s okay.

The boy tried everything, had a few great challenges with Walker-Peters. But there were a lot of situations which should have been free-kicks. The last one, when he goes down, you see that back and in the box he hits him in the end with his left foot, that’s a penalty.

“We cannot change. I hear now that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in five-and-a-half years. I’ve no idea if that’s my fault, or how that can happen.”

Managers can be punished for their post-match comments, but the FA say “provided they are not personal in their nature, imply bias or attack the integrity of the officials in charge of the match, or in any other respect bring the game into disrepute.”

Despite Klopp questioning United’s number of penalties it seems his comments were not strong enough to warrant any action.

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Liverpool lose at Southampton to extend blip in EPL

On the receiving end this time was Liverpool, which also appears to be on its knees in what is shaping up to be the most open title races in years.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl slumped to the ground, pulled down the bill of his cap, and wept after another big win for his team in the English Premier League.

On the receiving end this time was Liverpool, which also appears to be on its knees in what is shaping up to be the most open title races in years.

Danny Ings, a former Liverpool player, scored in the second minute to lead Southampton to a 1-0 win over the defending champions at an empty St. Mary’s Stadium on Monday.

Liverpool has gone three games without a win — after back-to-back draws against West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle — and leads on only goal difference from great rival Manchester United, which has played one game fewer.

United isn’t the only team in striking distance of the lead approaching the halfway point of the league. Four points separate Liverpool from seventh-place Everton, with 10th-place West Ham only seven points off the lead in what was always going to be a disjointed season amid the pandemic.

Southampton is in the mix, too, its latest win lifting Hasenhuttl’s team to sixth place in a season when it has been top — albeit briefly — for the first time since 1988. It all proved too much at the final whistle for the emotional Hasenhuttl, whose team was heavily depleted for the game.

“When you see our guys fighting with everything they have, it makes me really proud,” the Austrian coach said. “You need to have the perfect game against Liverpool and I think we did have that.

“It was an intense game, my voice is nearly gone. The guys are tired — you have to be to win against such a team. The guys believed in what they were doing.”

Few could have foreseen this sudden drop-off by Liverpool, which has failed to score in successive games for only the second time in Jurgen Klopp’s five-year tenure.

Indeed, such has been Liverpool’s lack of cutting edge of late that Klopp’s team has managed just seven shots on target in the past three games. In the game before that, Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 7-0 away.

“Our decision-making was just not good,” Klopp said. “That is how it is when you don’t have momentum. We should have had much more chances.”

Southampton was missing the spine of its team, with first-choice goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (coronavirus), central midfielder Oriol Romeu (hamstring) and striker Che Adams (concussion) joining giant center back Jannik Vestergaard on the injury list.

But the Saints still had Ings, who latched onto a free kick by set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse and lifted a bouncing ball over goalkeeper Alisson Becker and into the far corner.

“We all know how good Prowsey is on set-pieces, and all the parts came together and luckily I got the goal,” said Ings, who had an injury-plagued spell at Liverpool from 2015-18. “We had a chat before the game to see if there was a moment where we could get in quickly and luckily it paid off.”

It was attack vs. defense from then on but Southampton held firm, with center backs Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek, in particular, outstanding.

“You know exactly what you are going to get from them,” Klopp said of Southampton. “You cannot be surprised but we looked surprised.

“At the beginning how we played, where we lost the balls, it’s not rocket science. We should have done much better. We played into their hands with the start.”

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FERNANDES PENALTY PUT UNITED LEVEL WITH LIVERPOOL.

Bruno Fernandes’s penalty earned Manchester United a 2-1 win over Aston Villa to go level on points with leaders Liverpool.

Man Utd took a 40th-minute lead at Old Trafford when Anthony Martial headed in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s right-wing centre.

Villa levelled just before the hour-mark as Jack Grealish crossed for Bertrand Traore to score for the third time in four matches.

But the hosts took just three minutes to regain their lead, with Fernandes converting from the spot after Paul Pogba was brought down by Douglas Luiz.

Emiliano Martinez then made stunning saves to deny Martial and Fernandes before Tyrone Mings passed up a late chance to claim a point when he guided Matty Cash’s free-kick wide.

An English league record 36th victory on New Year’s Day puts Man Utd second on goal difference.

Villa drop to sixth place after a first defeat in six matches.

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LIV 1-1 WBA: THE HAWTHORNS STUN LIVERPOOL TO CLAIM POINT AT ANFIELD.

Sam Allardyce first away manager to avoid defeat at Anfield this season thanks to Semi Ajayi’s late header

Semi Ajayi’s 82nd-minute header made Sam Allardyce’s West Bromwich Albion the first team to deny Liverpool a win at Anfield this season.

Liverpool started on the front foot, with Sadio Mane firing them ahead on 12 minutes when he controlled Joel Matip’s pass, spun and scored.

The home side dominated but could not turn their 82 per cent possession in the first half into further goals.

West Brom had more of the game after the break, with Karlan Grant and Ajayi each having efforts saved by Alisson.

The equaliser came as Ajayi rose highest to head in Matheus Pereira’s cross off the post.

Roberto Firmino almost snatched a last-minute winner for the champions but his header was superbly tipped wide by Sam Johnstone.

Liverpool have 32 points, three clear of Everton at the top, while West Brom remain 19th with eight points.

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SALAH NOT RULING OUT MOVES TO SPANISH GIANTS IN LA LIGA.

Mohamed Salah has said his Liverpool future is “in the club’s hands” and was “very disappointed” to be overlooked for the captaincy in their Champions League match with FC Midtjylland this month.

Salah, 28, expected to wear the armband for the final group D game on Dec. 9 with Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum on the bench and James Milner and Virgil van Dijk both injured.

Manager Jurgen Klopp picked 22-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold as captain instead, and Salah responded by scoring a first-minute goal in a 1-1 draw.

“Honestly, I was very disappointed,” Salah who scored a first-minute goal in the 1-1 draw with Midtjylland, told Diario AS. “I was expecting to be the captain. But it’s the manager’s decision. I accept it.”

Salah has been regularly linked with La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona during a hugely successful three-and-a-half years at Anfield since joining from Roma in 2017.

His goals helped fire Liverpool to the Champions League trophy in 2019 and the Premier League, ending a 30-year wait for the club, in 2020.

“I think Madrid and Barcelona are top clubs,” he said. “We never know what’s going to happen in the future. Right now I’m focused on winning the Premier League and the Champions League again with [Liverpool].”

Salah’s contract at Anfield runs until June 2023.

“That’s a tough one,” he said, when asked how long he would stay. “Right now I can say everything is in the club’s hands. Of course I want to break records here, every record at the club, but everything is in the club’s hands.”

Salah and the Reds were back in action on Sunday, with the Egyptian scoring twice in a 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace.

When asked about Salah’s comments after the win vs. Palace, Klopp merely laughed and said: “Nothing to say about that on my side.”

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LIVERPOOL THRASH EAGLES AT SELHURST PARK TO CONFIRM TOP SPOT AT CHRISTMAS.

A clinical Liverpool guaranteed they will be No 1 at Christmas with a 7-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Takumi Minamino showed good feet before finding the bottom corner after three minutes for his first Premier League goal.

Palace responded but could not get the goal they deserved and Sadio Mane’s sharp turn and finish doubled Liverpool’s advantage on 35 minutes.

The champions took full control in the 44th minute, with Roberto Firmino controlling Andy Robertson’s pass before poking the ball in.

Jordan Henderson curled in a fourth after the interval before Firmino dinked the ball over Vicente Guaita for his second.

Substitute Mohamed Salah scored a quick-fire brace, including a fantastic second, as Liverpool recorded their biggest Premier League away win.

They are six points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, who host Leicester City tomorrow.

Palace stay 12th, with 18 points.

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FIRMINO LATE HEADER WINS TOP OF THE TABLE BATTLE FOR THE REDS.

Roberto Firmino headed in a 90th-minute winner as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield and overtook their title rivals at the top of the Premier League table.

The Reds had the better of the first half and took a 26th-minute lead when Mohamed Salah’s shot deflected off Toby Alderweireld and looped over Hugo Lloris.

But Spurs equalised on 33 minutes when Son Heung-min slotted in his 11th Premier League goal of the season from Giovani Lo Celso’s through-ball.

Jose Mourinho’s visitors had three good chances after the break, with Steven Bergwijn prodding wide before getting in behind again and hitting the post, while Harry Kane headed wide from close range.

But Liverpool responded, and Sadio Mane hit the top of the crossbar before Firmino’s decisive contribution, with the Brazilian heading in from Andrew Robertson’s corner.

Liverpool move three points ahead of Spurs, who suffered their first defeat in 12 matches.