There are cup finals and cup finals in football. Cup finals, capital C capital F, are complete and will be played at large arenas, with lots of stays and prizes at the end; cup finals, low issue and metaphorical, are different.
A cup final can involve two teams in the bottom four coming in April; or a manager who has not won in 10 games.
Manchester United have already played two cup finals this season, and lost both. The first one went away to RB Leipzig in the last group game of the Champions League, needing a draw for progress. United went down 3-0 within 69 minutes, and lost.
Bruno Fernandes will be celebrating after winning the goal against Liverpool on Sunday
The second was against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup: a home game against local rivals with a place at Wembley involved. United have never been there and City will now play Tottenham for the award.
It was a home-winning game for Liverpool, United’s third cup final of the campaign – and the first to finish in victory.
It’s an important event, as with United at the top of the league and the title race going as smoothly as it has ever been in recent memory, it will be cup finals from here. .
Sheffield United at home Wednesday: cup final. Manchester United have to claim three points as all of their competitors will have expectations in this game. Arsenal away Saturday: cup final. Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Leicester have all beaten Arsenal this season. United cannot drop three more points to a midfield club.
So it’s no surprise that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went out of sight down the tunnel Sunday with a cheeky wink. United may have been the first team to concede two or more goals to Liverpool since before Christmas – if we don’t count the XI Aston Villa youngsters – but the way they handled that challenge was a testament to confidence. which was growing.
Liverpool players are looking sad after conceding their third goal of the game in Manchester
United went behind, as usual but pulled back to lead and captured the game and the town in the last 16 with a stunning free kick from Bruno Fernandes.
Since making his debut against Wolves on February 1 last year, Fernandes has scored more goals than any other Premier League player: 28.
Sunday ended United’s longest unbeaten run of games: four. If this is to be United’s first title since Ferguson’s time, Fernandes’ appointment will be considered as important as Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool.
And while it would be unhealthy for Van Dijk’s extended injury absence to be brought forward as a discount every time Liverpool fall short, Sunday was one of those games when the hole wasn’t there. the defensive heart of Jurgen Klopp but too conspicuous.
Rhys Williams lost his kick to secure a second place at United and Fabinho managed to hand over the free-kick that carried the winner forward.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates following the whistle full time at Old Trafford
No player is unbelievable, of course, but one thinks of the mistakes caused by Liverpool ‘s last two defenses – Fabinho added to the shock that led to Burnley’ s penalty, too – and it may not have happened with Van Dijk’s quiet influence.
We will soon see Leicester in the Premier League without Jamie Vardy, Manchester City minus Kevin De Bruyne. If Fernandes suffered injustice, could United’s form be maintained?
Undoubtedly, as all influences and backgrounds grow in importance so will Van Dijk’s lack.
But that’s not the only reason Liverpool are struggling right now. This is a team that has completed sustainability tasks in the past three seasons.
Appearing in the Champions League final, a Champions League victory in a season combined with one loss in 38 Premier League games, the fastest title win in English football history.
Is it really logical that they could go another year, while losing top players, and not be impressed?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reveals his harassment of the handline during Sunday’s game
In 2013 and 2014, England played the Ashes test series. There were five Tests in England, and five in Australia. It was too much. The intensity, the physical and mental stress, weighed heavily.
England lost the second set 5-0. Jonathan Trott traveled home early suffering from a stress-related condition; Graeme Swann retired at Test midfield; Kevin Pietersen never played for England again; Andy Flower was removed as coach.
Liverpool are nowhere near that level of crisis yet. Of course, Sunday ‘s performance was one of their late favorites – and at least they’ve started scoring again – but despite what the Adidas campaign slogan says it’s not impossible dad.
And it would be impossible for Liverpool to just go on and on, to run Manchester City to the final day in 2019, to set a pace that a competitor could not survive with the next season, to reach the finals of the Champions League, fly to Qatar and be crowned as the world champion club, without the day coming when a small voice whistles: take a breath now.
At that point, too much talk about these monsters of mind or Klopp’s refusal of ‘our intense identity’ can’t dig a way out of the hole. Not right now, anyway. There may come a time when their energy level returns and so may this season.
Liverpool still have good players – but also England in Australia. Sometimes they just have to repay. Klopp’s team looks tired, at times, and stretched. It is incomprehensible.
United, on the other hand, are apparently inspired by the joys of the rout. Paul Pogba seems to be led by a challenge this season. With wide range and Edinson Cavani through the middle, Solskjaer has hit on a strategy that is a throwback to Ferguson title winners.
Some of the football, in passing, was of a steeper nature than moves, very special. And, as is increasingly common, United have found a way to win, despite initial controversy.
No prize, not yet, but make no mistake that this was a cup final. As Solskjaer recalls, once you start, winning for them will be pretty normal.