Late Errors Prove Costly For Man United, Liverpool
Individual errors proved costly for Liverpool and Manchester United on a day of late goals and incredible comebacks in English soccer on Sunday.
Liverpool conceded three goals in the final 20 minutes to lose 4-3 at Bournemouth in the Premier League. The collapse was sealed when Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius fumbled a shot in the third minute of injury time, gifting Nathan Ake the chance to grab the winner.
Hours later, United was held 1-1 at Everton after Marouane Fellaini conceded an 88th-minute penalty with a clumsy foul, two minutes after coming on as a substitute. Leighton Baines scored from the spot to leave United with just two wins since Aug. 27.
While Liverpool dropped four points behind first-placed Chelsea, United is already 13 points adrift of the leaders after only 14 games.
The late drama didn’t end there. In possibly the most stunning finish to a match in the FA Cup, AFC Wimbledon came from 3-0 down in the 80th minute to beat non-league Curzon Ashton 4-3 in the second round.
Here’s a closer look at the two Premier League games:
BOURNEMOUTH 4, LIVERPOOL 3
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp couldn’t hide his frustration after his side threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to slump to only a second loss this season.
“We aren’t ice skating,” Klopp said. “It’s not about how it looks.”
Klopp said Liverpool simply stopped playing after going 3-1 ahead in the 64th through Emre Can, adding to first-half goals by Sadio Mane and Divock Origi.
Bournemouth scored in the 76th and 78th minutes to draw level, before Ake pounced on the mistake by Karius to complete one of the greatest turnarounds in the Premier League’s 24-year history.
Ake is on loan at Bournemouth from Chelsea.
“We opened the door,” Klopp said, “and they ran through.”
The meltdown reignited concerns about Liverpool’s defense, which was missing injured center back Joel Matip, and the debate over whether Karius is an upgrade on the goalkeeper he recently replaced, Simon Mignolet.
Liverpool is in third place.
EVERTON 1, MANCHESTER UNITED 1
Fellaini was brought on by United manager Jose Mourinho in the 85th minute to provide the team height and extra defensive muscle as Everton poured forward in search of an equalizer at Goodison Park.
His first contribution was to bring down Idrissa Gueye as the Everton midfielder ran across the face of the penalty box. Mourinho looked disgusted in his technical area, even more so when Baines converted the penalty.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic put United in front in the 42nd by latching onto Anthony Martial’s ball over the top and producing an exquisite lob from the edge of the area with the outside of his right foot. The ball bounced up onto the crossbar, came down onto the post and landed on the goal-line before spinning back over the line.
United hit the post early in the second half through Ander Herrera and couldn’t hold on as Everton finished the stronger.
United is in sixth place after its worst 14-game start to a Premier League season. Mourinho acknowledged before the game that the title might already be beyond his team but a top-four finish — which brings Champions League qualification — is also looking a tough task, even at this early stage.
Mourinho was characteristically defiant.
“Another game with a very good performance,” Mourinho said, “but we’re not getting the results we deserve.”
AP