There is no easy way to digest a defeat like that. Leaving Old Trafford after a 3-2 defeat is always a bitter pill, but the manner of Sunday’s collapse feels particularly cruel. For 45 minutes, we were spectators at our own funeral, only to fight back with the kind of spirit that we’ve often missed this season, before eventually being undone by a single moment of quality we simply could not match.
The first half was, quite frankly, a disaster. Manchester United started with a ferocity we struggled to contend with. Within six minutes, Matheus Cunha found space on the edge of the area and his strike took a wicked deflection off Alexis Mac Allister to settle in the bottom corner. Before we could even catch our breath, the lead was doubled. Luke Shaw’s cross found Bruno Fernandes at the far post, and his header back across goal was eventually bundled over the line by Benjamin Sesko.
At 2-0 down inside 15 minutes, the away end was shell-shocked. We looked sluggish and second to every loose ball. United were dominant, and truth be told, we were lucky to get to half-time only two goals behind.
Whatever was said in the dressing room at half-time worked. The transformation was immediate. Within two minutes of the restart, we had a lifeline. Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been a beacon of consistency this season, capitalised on a lapse in the United midfield to fire home. Suddenly, the momentum shifted entirely and it was United on the back foot.
Ten minutes later, our high press forced a horrific error from United keeper Senne Lammens. Mac Allister pounced on the loose pass and squared it for Cody Gakpo, who made no mistake with the finish. From 2-0 down to 2-2, we were starting to believe we could win it. We were hounding them, winning every tackle, and looking like the side that deserved the points.
But football is a game of fine margins. As we pushed for a winner, United found their second wind. In the 77th minute, Kobbie Mainoo showed exactly why he is so highly-rated. After a cross was only partially cleared by Mac Allister, the young midfielder controlled the ball and curled a pinpoint finish past Freddie Woodman.
We threw everything at them in the final stages. Rio Ngumoha came on and looked bright, flashing a shot just wide, and Gakpo forced a late save, but the equaliser would not come. There will be obvious criticisms of Arne Slot’s 4-5-1 starting formation, but we showed character in that second half and were unlucky not to get something from the game.
The quest for Champions League football next season continues.
