Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s late equaliser earned Manchester United a point they fully deserved after a typically thunderous encounter with Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Liverpool led through James Milner’s 27th-minute penalty, awarded after Paul Pogba inexplicably handled a corner as he went up to challenge with Dejan Lovren.
Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was Liverpool’s hero with superb first-half saves from Ibrahimovic’s free-kick and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as Jurgen Klopp’s side put up stern resistance and threatened on the break.
It looked like the visitors were going to hold on and move back to second in the Premier League, but United finally forced the goal they merited when Antonio Valencia reacted first when substitute Marouane Fellaini’s header came back off the post, crossing for Ibrahimovic to head home off the bar.
Liverpool are now in third place, seven points adrift of top-flight leaders Chelsea, while United – whose nine-match winning run in all competitions came to an end – are now 12 points off the top.
Mignolet rewards Klopp’s faith
Reds boss Klopp had no hesitation in restoring Mignolet in goal, despite the midweek heroics of Loris Karius in defeat in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Southampton.
Klopp has decided, for now at least, that the Belgium international is his first choice – and Mignolet demonstrated exactly why on Sunday.
Mignolet’s decision-making has often been questioned, but he has always been capable of making outstanding saves. And so it proved in this draw.
He rescued Liverpool twice in the first half with a brilliant reflex save from Ibrahimovic’s fierce free-kick and a decisive advance from goal to make a one-handed block from Mkhitaryan.
Klopp has had to make big decisions with his keepers this season – and this one was fully justified by Mignolet.
Ibrahimovic United’s talisman – again
Ibrahimovic may be 35 and in the twilight of a wonderful career – but he is the new talisman of Manchester United and the leader of Mourinho’s team.
This may not have been the former Sweden striker’s best performance of the season but he was still the man who made the difference and produced the decisive contribution when United needed him.
Ibrahimovic brings a winner’s mentality to Old Trafford and it showed when he raced back to the centre circle after his 19th goal of a stellar season, finger pointing to the skies before whirling his arms around demanding more noise and support from United’s fans in the closing moments.
He has now scored 14 goals in his first 20 Premier League games since joining last summer – the same total as Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, former Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, and ex-Coventry City forward Micky Quinn.
Pogba’s nightmare
Pogba’s Manchester United career has been a slow-burner – but he has come into his own throughout United’s recent run of victories.
This, however, will be a game he will surely want to forget as quickly as possible as the £89m man endured a nightmare from first to last.
Pogba revealed his own emoji before the game, but he will have wanted to keep his profile as low as possible after needlessly conceding a penalty and missing a clear chance when he raced through earlier in the first half.
The 23-year-old France midfielder is a player of undoubted quality but this was not his finest 90 minutes.
