For the first time in the 25 seasons of the Premier League, the two league meetings between Manchester United and Liverpool both ended in a draw. This, however, was a much more exciting contest than the dreadful 0-0 in October. Jürgen Klopp sprung a tactical surprise from the outset by deploying a diamond midfield, a considerably different shape to Liverpool’s regular 4-3-3. This involved Adam Lallana playing as a No10, allowing Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi to make dangerous runs across the opposition defence from out to in.
The main outcome was Liverpool making life very difficult for Michael Carrick, who has been excellent in recent weeks. Lallana marked him excellently in the opening stages, meaning Carrick was unable to put his foot on the ball and put United in charge. It was not entirely surprising when José Mourinho substituted Carrick at half-time, introducing Wayne Rooney and switching to a 4-2-3-1 shape. Lallana’s discipline meant a holding midfielder was always unlikely to find time on the ball.
Although Liverpool went into half‑time 1-0 ahead, Mourinho’s team had created the better chances. The away side’s narrow system allowed United space down the flanks, with Anthony Martial often tricking his way past young Trent Alexander‑Arnold down the left, and Antonio Valencia motoring forward on the overlap on the right. Liverpool’s diamond shuffled across the pitch laterally to shut down opponents on the wings, but this proved a tiring approach. The more the game continued, the more United’s switches of play looked threatening.
Liverpool’s free player was their holding midfielder Jordan Henderson. Liverpool’s captain has enjoyed an excellent campaign in that deep role, particularly when playing against 4-3-3 systems that allow him time in possession. Although his influence was not as great as in the 2-1 victory away at Chelsea earlier in the campaign, for example, the tactical situation was similar and Henderson was unhurried and intelligent with his distribution, in stark contrast to the struggles of Carrick. He transferred the ball efficiently into the final third.
Liverpool’s most promising route to goal, meanwhile, came from set‑pieces. From an early stage it was obvious Paul Pogba was struggling to track Dejan Lovren because of some clever blocking tactics from the away side, and the Frenchman’s problems in this respect partially explain his peculiar handball from James Milner’s deep, outswinging corner. Milner has been flawless from the penalty spot this season and converted yet again here, giving Liverpool a 1-0 half-time lead.
Mourinho wasted no time in making changes, with Rooney on for Carrick, and United immediately started to enjoy spells of possession in more advanced positions. Henderson, meanwhile, had less freedom and more defensive responsibility, with Rooney showing flashes of imagination from between the lines.
Klopp introduced Philippe Coutinho in place of Origi after an hour, switching to Liverpool’s usual 4-3-3 system. Coutinho teed up Firmino for a fine chance with his first contribution, but this was nevertheless a surprising substitution which robbed Liverpool of their best source of speed in behind the opposition. Without Sadio Mané, away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and with Daniel Sturridge only a substitute, it felt like Liverpool did not offer enough genuine counter-attacking threat for long periods of the second half, and the away side only started attacking properly in the final minutes after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s equaliser. That came, incidentally, after Mourinho had introduced Marouane Fellaini in place of the left‑back Matteo Darmian, with United unashamedly crossing regularly. Fellaini had nodded against the post just before Ibrahimovic’s header. Both sides threatened to snatch the victory in the closing stages, but a draw seemed a fair result.
In the top-six “mini-league” between these two teams plus Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham, every other side has lost at least two games – apart from Liverpool, who remain unbeaten. In the Premier League’s most exciting managerial lineup ever, it is Klopp who has established himself as the most astute tactician in these head‑to‑head contests.