Liverpool and United thwarted in dramatic late sucker punches

LONDON — Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester United were caught by late sucker punches in two games that finished far more dramatically than they began on Sunday.

Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool wasted a chance to return to second place in the table, a point behind Chelsea, twice surrendering a two-goal lead before losing 4-3 in added time in a thriller at Bournemouth.

United dropped two points at Everton after Marouane Fellaini conceded an 89th-minute penalty soon after the former Goodison Park favourite had come on as a substitute.

Third-placed Liverpool’s defeat was their first in any competition since August and looked highly improbable when they built on a slow start to cruise into a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.

Sadio Mane and Divock Origi, starting his first league game of the season, scored for the visitors from successive attacks.

Although Bournemouth had strong claims for a penalty turned down as Roberto Firmino challenged Nathan Ake, they did not threaten until the introduction of Scotland Under-21 international Ryan Fraser 10 minutes after half-time.

He had been on for barely a minute when he won a penalty that Callum Wilson converted.

Emre Can restored Liverpool’s two-goal cushion but they were stunned when, in the space of three minutes, Fraser drove in Wilson’s centre and then defender Steve Cook brought down Fraser’s cross like a striker before driving home the equaliser.

In the third minute of added time Bournemouth secured one of the best wins in their history — and first against Liverpool — as goalkeeper Loris Karius fumbled a shot from long range and Ake poked the ball in.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said it was “a very special day” for his 10th-placed team.

“It would have been easy for our players to give up and see out time but our group knows not to give up,” he added.

Rocks and stones

Klopp said his side gave the points away although he was surprisingly sanguine about the outcome.

“Of course this can help us,” the Liverpool manager explained. “If we learn, then it’s OK.

“No road is without rocks and stones. It’s three points, no more, these things happen. The base is pretty good but we need to use our quality more.”

United Manager Jose Mourinho also tried to dwell on the positives after he had sent on Fellaini against eighth-placed Everton.

The Belgian produced a clumsy tackle on Idrissa Gueye and could only watch as defender Leighton Baines beat the previously defiant David De Gea from the penalty spot.

Earlier, Zlatan Ibrahimovic continued his run of goals for sixth-placed United with a clever lob via the bar and post as goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg unwisely rushed out of the penalty area.

“We are not getting what we deserve,” said Mourinho. “In every one of our draws we deserved to win.

“You have [other] teams playing defensive and counterattacking football but getting results.

“I’m happy my team is playing extremely well. But this season what matters is the results.”

With six draws in the last eight league games and only one victory, results are not going United’s way, leaving them nine points behind Manchester City who are in fourth spot.

Tetchy Mourinho

Not for the first time this season, Jose Mourinho was left in a wretched mood after watching his Manchester United side control a Premier League match only to end up missing out on victory on Sunday.

In a tetchy news conference following the 1-1 draw at Everton that left his team in sixth place, the Portuguese was adamant they deserved to win and said there was “nothing more” he could do to change United’s fortunes.

Rather than address why the visitors were continually failing to kill off opponents they had dominated, a stern-looking Mourinho launched a counter attack.

Also, having been in so much trouble of late with football’s authorities, he gave a non-committal response when asked about a Marouane Fellaini foul on Idrissa Gueye that gifted Everton an 89th-minute penalty converted by Leighton Baines.

“I didn’t see it,” Mourinho said while many observers felt the penalty award was soft.

Then asked why he brought on the beanpole Fellaini as a substitute with United leading 1-0, he snapped at his questioner: “I thought you would know more about football than you do — because the answer is obvious.

“When a direct team is losing they intensify their direct football and when you have a two-metres [tall] player on the bench you play him in front of the defensive line to help the team win.”

United have drawn six of their last eight league fixtures and quizzed about another match without a win, Mourinho interrupted: “It’s another game with a very good performance. We are not getting the results we deserve.

“When you play well there’s nothing more you can do.”

So many of Mourinho’s teams in the past have been damned with faint praise for winning without flair.

What seems to be irritating him now is that he feels United are being criticised for playing attractively without getting the results.

“You [reporters] have to make a decision,” Mourinho said. “Because when my teams are playing pragmatic football and winning matches and titles, you say that is not right and nice.

“When my teams, like now, play very, very well, you say that what matters is to get results no matter what.

“At this moment in the Premier League you have teams getting results that defend with 11 players and attack the space on the counterattack [and you say] it’s phenomenal, beautiful. So you have to make a decision,” added Mourinho.