MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo struck late to seal a dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory over rivals Liverpool on Sunday as the home side secured their return to the Champions League next season after a two-year absence.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo had hauled Liverpool level in the second half after costly United errors, but Mainoo had the final say with a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box in the 77th minute to send Old Trafford into raptures.
“I’ve not been around the goals too much but I’m happy to be around it on such a massive occasion,” Mainoo said.
The win moved third-placed United onto 64 points with three games remaining, while fourth-placed Liverpool still have work to do to clinch a place among Europe’s elite next season and are level on 58 points with fifth-placed Aston Villa, who have a game in hand.
United got off to a great start, with Matheus Cunha scoring in the sixth minute and Benjamin Sesko doubling their lead eight minutes later.
Szoboszlai pulled one back in the 47th minute after Amad Diallo gave the ball away on the halfway line, and Gakpo levelled nine minutes later when Senne Lammens passed the ball straight to Alexis Mac Allister, and Gakpo slotted into the open net, setting up a nervy ending punctuated by Mainoo’s heroics.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot acknowledged he is annoyed his team has yet to secure Champions League qualification.
“I wouldn’t say concern is the right word, but I’m completely aware of the fact that we need three points,” he said. “That’s why I was so annoyed that we didn’t pick them up today, although we didn’t deserve to get these points … If you are coming back after 2-0 down, you should at least go away from here with a result, which we didn’t do.
“We knew before the game we had four chances to pick up three points to qualify for Champions League, and now there are three chances left.”
Earlier on Sunday, Bournemouth moved into sixth place with a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace that bolstered their bid to qualify for Europe.
Andoni Iraola’s side took the lead through Jefferson Lerma’s own goal early in the first half at the Vitality Stadium.
Eli Junior Kroupi increased Bournemouth’s advantage with a penalty before the interval and Rayan wrapped up the point after the break.
The Cherries are one point above seventh-placed Brentford in the race to book a place in next season’s Europa League via a sixth-place finish.
Iraola is set to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season and the Spaniard is presiding over a remarkable farewell campaign at the south-coast club.
ARSENAL GO SIX POINTS CLEAR
On Saturday, Arsenal stormed six points clear at the top of the Premier League as Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres put Fulham to the sword in a 3-0 win.
The Gunners have stumbled towards the finish line in their quest for a first league title in 22 years, blowing a sizeable lead over Manchester City in a series of nervous displays.
But the return of Saka, making his first start in six weeks, freed up Mikel Arteta’s men in a dominant performance that shrugged off fears of fatigue in between two legs of a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
Gyokeres also silenced his critics with two predatory finishes to take his tally to 21 in his first season since a 64 million ($87 million) move from Sporting Lisbon.
“It says to us and to our dressing room that we keep the dream alive,” Arteta told reporters. “What these guys have done, not now but throughout the season, to win that many games in the circumstances that we had to do it, without so many players available at times, is remarkable.”
Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2026
