Darwin's disastrous decision-making ends quadruple dreams

The hopes for a quadruple victory are dashed as Darwin Nunez's poor decision-making leads to a costly defeat for the Reds in a thrilling seven-goal FA Cup exit.

The Reds suffered a dismal beginning and an even more agonizing conclusion, leading to their elimination from the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

Liverpool's aspirations of clinching the quadruple this season were brought to a dramatic halt as they were eliminated from the FA Cup in a thrilling 4-3 defeat against Manchester United, a match that ended as chaotically as it began.

The Reds faced a dreadful start to the quarter-final encounter, finding themselves outplayed from the outset and conceding an early goal to Scott McTominay just 10 minutes into the game due to some sloppy defending from Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah.

However, thanks to Caomhin Kelleher's solid goalkeeping performance - making six saves in the first half alone - they managed to prevent Erik ten Hag's side from extending their lead, gradually gaining momentum themselves as the game progressed. Liverpool eventually leveled the score with their opponents, as Quansah embarked on an impressive run before setting up Alexis Mac Allister for the equalizer in the 44th minute. Shortly after, Darwin Nunez played a pivotal role once again, with his shot being saved by Onana, but Mohamed Salah was there to slot the rebound into the net, marking his 13th goal in his last 10 matches against United.
Liverpool dominated the second half, overshadowing United and persistently pushing for a third goal, although they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities despite Diaz and Nunez finding more space. However, their failure to convert chances came back to haunt them when substitute Antony capitalized on a mistake to equalize and force extra time.
In the additional period, United started brightly but failed to trouble Kelleher, mirroring

Liverpool's struggles in the second half. However, just as Liverpool had been punished earlier, United suffered the same fate when Elliott's shot deflected into the net.
The drama continued as Nunez squandered opportunities for Liverpool, allowing United to capitalize and equalize through Rashford. With penalties looming, United struck on the counter-attack in the dying moments, with Diallo sealing the win with a decisive goal.

Liverpool Players rating against Manchester United

Goalkeeper & Defense:

Caoimhin Kelleher (8/10):

Impressed with several crucial saves, showcasing his growing reliability in the absence of Alisson.

Joe Gomez (6/10):

Started poorly, allowing space for the opening goal, but improved as the game progressed, contributing to Liverpool's pressure on United.

Jarell Quansah (7/10):

Initially lacked urgency in closing down, leading to the first goal, but recovered to play a pivotal role in creating Liverpool's equalizer, demonstrating the stability expected of him.

Virgil van Dijk (7/10):

Continued his strong performances, thwarting numerous United attacks with his timely clearances and interceptions.

Andrew Robertson (6/10):

Made efforts to advance down the wing and deliver dangerous crosses, but faced effective marking from Diogo Dalot, limiting his impact.

Midfield

Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):

Demonstrated his scoring prowess by leveling the score with a powerful shot past Onana and showcased excellent passing throughout the game.

Wataru Endo (6/10):

Displayed strength on the ball and covered considerable ground, but could have performed better in defending against Antony's goal.

Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):

Attempted numerous shots from outside the box and saw plenty of possession, but lacked the precision in his passes to create clear-cut opportunities.

Attack

Mohamed Salah (7/10):

Faced a tough time against Aaron Wan-Bissaka's defense but capitalized on a rebound to give Liverpool the lead. Improved performance in the second half.

Nunez (7/10):

Initially quiet but played crucial roles in two goals. Became more influential in the second half but was wasteful and his poor pass led to United's third goal.

Luis Diaz (7/10):

Caused problems for United with his elusive runs and smart passes, although many attacks didn't result in goals.

Substitutes & Manager

Harvey Elliot (7/10):

Injected danger after replacing Szoboszlai, ultimately contributing to the extra-time goal, but his giveaway led to United's winner.

Conor Bradley (7/10):

Entered the fray during a period of pressure for Liverpool and coped admirably, eventually assisting Elliott's crucial goal.

Cody Gakpo (5/10):

Made little impact after coming on for Salah.

Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

Attempted to spark trouble on the left during the final 19 minutes of extra time.

Bobby Clark (N/A):

Had minimal time to influence the game in the last seven minutes of extra time.

Jurgen Klopp (6/10):

Liverpool's performance had glaring weaknesses at the start and end of regulation time. Despite Nunez's struggles, two of Klopp's second-half substitutions proved pivotal in creating and scoring the decisive goal.