Man Utd clinches UCL spot with win over Liverpool
Key takeaways
- Sunday's eagerly anticipated Premier League encounter pitted the third-place team in the Premier League standings against No.
- Play continued at a frenetic pace before academy graduate Mainoo settled things in the 77th minute, slamming home in front of the Stretford End just days after committing his future to the club until 2031.
- Sir Alex Ferguson was unable to watch Sunday's match having felt unwell before kick-off and being taken to hospital.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Manchester United Man United MAN18-10-7, 64 PTS318-10-7, 64 PTSFTLiverpool Liverpool LIV17-7-11, 58 PTS217-7-11, 58 PTSMatheus Cunha - 6'Benjamin Sesko - 14'Kobbie Mainoo - 77'Dominik Szoboszlai - 47'Cody Gakpo - 56'Summary Report Commentary Statistics Line-Ups Videos Man United hold off Liverpool fightback to qualify for Champions League By PAUpdated: May 3, 2026, 01:03 pm Facebook Facebook Messenger Twitter Email Kobbie Mainoo celebrated his new deal in style as the homegrown Manchester United star sealed a helter-skelter 3-2 victory against archrivals Liverpool to ensure Champions League qualification.
Sunday's eagerly anticipated Premier League encounter pitted the third-place team in the Premier League standings against No. 4 at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils roared out of the blocks as Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko struck inside the opening 14 minutes.
But United gifted Arne Slot's stumbling side a way back just after halftime, with Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai capitalizing on a misplaced pass from United substitute Amad Diallo in the 47th minute, before Cody Gakpo levelled the score nine minutes later following a Senne Lammens blunder.