Kobbie Mainoo’s second-half strike settled a chaotic contest as Manchester United completed their first Premier League double over Liverpool in a decade with a 3–2 victory.

United raced into a 2–0 interval lead through summer signings Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško. Šeško ran the channels and looked fully settled, while Cunha combined grit and tidy possession to trouble the visitors. United’s hold seemed comfortable at half-time, but two errant passes allowed Liverpool back into the match before the hour mark.

Amad Diallo replaced the injured Šeško at halftime, and he notched an assist with his first involvement of the match. However, instead of teeing up a red shirt, Amad’s woeful infield pass was stolen by Dominik Szoboszlai, who ran through and scored. That moment shifted the game, and further miscontrol near the back saw Senne Lammens outfoxed by Alexis Mac Allister, allowing Cody Gakpo to equalize.

Mainoo’s composed finish then swung momentum again. “That’s some way to celebrate your contract extension .” United held on to confirm their place in next season’s Champions League.

Player ratings (Man Utd):
GK: Senne Lammens—4.9: Looked like Lammens would be in for a quiet afternoon with Liverpool struggling to penetrate, but he instead allowed the visitors back into the game.
RB: Diogo Dalot—6.8: Liverpool struggled to contain Dalot’s surges early on, with the right back functioning as a useful attacking outlet. There were far fewer forays once the visitors found a route back into the game.
CB: Harry Maguire—6.9: Undone by Szoboszlai for Liverpool’s first goal, but that was the only notable negative sequence from Maguire.
CB: Ayden Heaven—6.8: There were moments of distinct confidence from Heaven, especially with the ball at his feet. The youngster couldn’t be blamed for United‘s terrible start to the second half.
LB: Luke Shaw—7.4: An injury doubt heading into the game, Shaw started his 35th match of the Premier League season, earning a booking in the process. Shaw was steady enough up against the frantic Jeremie Frimpong, excluding the first 15 minutes of the second half.
DM: Casemiro—7.5: Missed a huge headed opportunity at 2–2, having been a little too eager to run up the score when the hosts held a comfortable lead. It’s not exactly clear what happened to United’s midfield after halftime.
DM: Kobbie Mainoo—8.0: Flow state in the opening period, and was ultimately the match-winner. However, there were concerns in the second half, with both of United’s midfielders getting caught ahead of the ball, allowing Liverpool to wreak havoc on the counter.
RW: Bryan Mbeumo—7.6: His goal contribution drought continued, but there were positives to take from Mbeumo’s performance. The forward’s delivery was crisp, and his smart off-the-ball running often went unnoticed by teammates.
AM: Bruno Fernandes—7.9: The tips of Woodman’s fingers denied Man Utd’s captain his record-equaling 20th Premier League assist of the season. Fernandes’ influence waned after halftime.
LW: Matheus Cunha—8.0: Kick-started an entertaining, quite bizarre soccer match with an early deflected effort. Cunha worked tirelessly and was a threat in the pockets during the first half.
ST: Benjamin Šeško—7.3: Strong end to the season continued on Sunday, even if he didn’t know much about his bundled finish, which surely should’ve been ruled out for handball. Withdrawn at halftime with suspected injury.

Subs: Amad Diallo (46’ for Šeško)—5.6, Patrick Dorgu (76’ for Mbeumo)—6.2, Joshua Zirkzee (87’ for Cunha)—N/A, Leny Yoro (90’ for Fernandes)—N/A. Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Noussair Mazraoui, Tyrell Malacia, Manuel Ugarte, Mason Mount.

Match statistics (Man Utd vs Liverpool): Possession 38%–62%, xG 2.14–0.89, Total Shots 18–13, Shots on Target 6–5, Big Chances 3–1, Passing Accuracy 79%–88%, Fouls 12–11.

Barcelona view Julián Álvarez as their primary target to strengthen the attack for 2026–27, but the club is weighing contingency plans as interest from Atlético Madrid and other suitors complicates any straightforward transfer. The Catalans insist they will be in a position to spend heavily on a striker this summer, yet their economic constraints could again shape the window.

Chelsea’s João Pedro has been linked as a possible target, though the club acknowledge a move would be difficult. ESPN’s report suggests Pedro is considered a “cheaper” option than Álvarez, but Chelsea would still demand a significant fee. Chelsea’s fragile financial outlook and the risk of failing to qualify for the Champions League could force the club to generate income and consider sales.

Hoffenheim’s 23-year-old Fisnik Asllani is on Barcelona’s radar after reaching double-digit goals and registering seven assists in his first full Bundesliga season. The Kosovo international has appeared to show affinity for Barcelona, posting social media images watching their games, and his agent has revealed there is interest from the Catalan club. “I’ve always dreamt of playing for Barcelona,” Asllani said back in October. Asllani would represent a lower-cost, high-potential option.

Another option is Atlético teammate Alexander Sõrloth. The Norwegian has scored seven goals and assisted three more in 15 career games against Barcelona and has proven his quality in La Liga. At 30 years old, he would likely be a more affordable short-term solution, offering similar traits to Robert Lewandowski and serving as a bridge forward while the club stabilises finances.

Free agent Dušan Vlahović, leaving Juventus after four-plus difficult years, appeals because of his cost-free transfer and age, 26, despite a modest return of six goals in 2025–26 and no 20-plus goal season since 2021–22.

Omar Marmoush, struggling for minutes at Man City with only seven Premier League starts and 17 appearances this season following additions to the squad, and Victor Osimhen, who has impressed for Galatasaray in recent Champions League action and remains a potent 27-year-old striker, are further alternatives Barcelona could pursue if Álvarez proves unattainable.

The Premier League issued an explanation after Benjamin Šeško’s goal for Manchester United against Liverpool was allowed to stand, citing a lack of definitive camera evidence. Bruno Fernandes’s header was diverted awkwardly by Liverpool’s third-choice custodian and fell on to Šeško’s body. Enhanced replay suggested the ball may also have skimmed the striker’s fingers.

On-pitch referee Darren England saw no issue with the finish and video assistant referee Stuart Attwell did not recommend a review on the touchline. As the Premier League would subsequently explain on their official Match Centre X account, “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR—with it deemed there was no conclusive evidence that Šeško handled the ball before scoring.”

The matter was treated as one of evidence rather than intent. The FA’s Law 12 is clear that it is a handball offence if a player “scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental.” In situations where the scorer is the suspected offender, the VAR process must identify a clear and conclusive angle to overturn the on-field decision. In this case officials concluded no such angle existed.

Reaction online was immediate. Blown-up images that appeared to show Šeško’s left ring finger make contact prompted calls for the goal to be disallowed. “That definitely looked like it hit Sesko’s left hand and got pushed more towards goal” reflected a commonly held view among commentators. Former Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand compared the moment to Diego Maradona’s “hand of god” goal, while Arne Slot pleaded for a handball from the Liverpool dugout and club icon Sir Kenny Dalglish tapped his arm in frustration from the Old Trafford stands. Even some Manchester United supporters accepted the ball may have touched Šeško’s hand. “Sesko aka hand of god! Love to see it” was among the fan responses.

With the VAR process concluded, the decision to allow the goal rested on the absence of conclusive footage rather than a judgment of intent.