Chapter 879: The Choice
As May 2021 arrived, the 2020–2021 season was drawing to its conclusion. The globally watched Premier League had also entered its decisive stage.
By this point, 33 rounds had been completed, and the table looked like this:
Manchester United — 32 matches, 25 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss, 80 goals scored, 28 conceded, a goal difference of +52, total 81 points, 1st place.
Manchester City — 33 matches, 24 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses, 69 goals scored, 25 conceded, a goal difference of +44, total 76 points, 2nd place.
Leicester City — 34 matches, 19 wins, 6 draws, 9 losses, 61 goals scored, 39 conceded, a goal difference of +22, total 63 points, 3rd place.
Chelsea — 33 matches, 16 wins, 9 draws, 8 losses, 51 goals scored, 33 conceded, a goal difference of +18, total 57 points, 4th place.
West Ham United — 33 matches, 16 wins, 7 draws, 10 losses, 53 goals scored, 43 conceded, a goal difference of +10, total 55 points, 5th place.
Liverpool — 33 matches, 15 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses, 55 goals scored, 39 conceded, a goal difference of +16, total 54 points, 6th place.
Everton — 32 matches, 15 wins, 7 draws, 10 losses, 44 goals scored, 40 conceded, a goal difference of +4, total 52 points, 7th place.
Tottenham Hotspur — 33 matches, 14 wins, 8 draws, 11 losses, 50 goals scored, 38 conceded, a goal difference of +12, total 50 points, 8th place.
Leeds United — 33 matches, 14 wins, 5 draws, 14 losses, 50 goals scored, 51 conceded, a goal difference of –1, total 47 points, 9th place.
...
From the league table, it was clear that the title battle would be decided between Manchester's two giants. Leicester City, sitting third and a full 18 points behind United with only five matches left, no longer had even a theoretical chance of winning.
In the Manchester rivalry, United had the upper hand—they were five points ahead of City with a game in hand, that match being an away clash against Leeds United.
That postponed second leg of the Roses Derby, moved to May 13 due to United's League Cup final, would prove crucial.
In the first league meeting earlier that season, United had demolished Leeds 7–2.
However, Leeds were no longer the same team. Since a 0–2 away defeat to West Ham on March 8, they had gone on an incredible run: 0–0 at home versus Chelsea, 2–1 away at Fulham, 2–1 home win over Sheffield United, a shocking 2–1 away victory against Manchester City, and a 1–1 home draw against Liverpool. Unbeaten in five, Leeds had quietly risen into the top half of the table—and even held a faint hope of reaching the Champions League places, sitting just ten points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with five games to go.
Given their recent record—drawing Chelsea and Liverpool, beating City—and with the motivation of revenge for the earlier thrashing, United's trip to Elland Road would be far from easy.
So yes, United were in a favorable position, but the title wasn't secured yet. An away loss in that postponed Roses Derby could cut their lead to just five points.
With City's squad depth and United's busy schedule across three competitions, a five-point swing in five rounds wasn't impossible.
...
City's title hopes were dim, but their top-four place was already secure—they were 19 points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea with five games left.
From third-place Leicester to ninth-place Leeds, seven teams were still vying for European spots—two Champions League berths, two Europa League berths, and one Conference League ticket.
UEFA's new third-tier competition, the Conference League, was first proposed in 2015 to give smaller clubs more participation opportunities. Officially launched for the 2021–2024 cycle under the name "UEFA Europa Conference League," it expanded European opportunities further.
Under the Premier League's allocation:
The top four teams qualify directly for the Champions League.
The fifth team qualifies for the Europa League group stage.
The FA Cup winner also earns a Europa League spot—if that club already qualifies for Europe through league placement, the spot passes down to sixth place.
The League Cup winner earns a Conference League spot—if already qualified for Europe, it passes to sixth or seventh place.
This season, both FA Cup finalists—Manchester United and Chelsea—were likely heading to the Champions League, either through league performance or title defense, meaning the league's sixth-place side would inherit the spare Europa League place.
Since United had already captured the League Cup, the Conference League spot would likely go to the seventh-placed team.
...
Though Mourinho had said that beating Liverpool at home to complete the league double was their target, actions speak louder than words.
When he released United's starting lineup for the May 1 clash against Liverpool, everyone was stunned.
It was a full rotation of reserve players in a 4-5-1 (technically 4-2-3-1) setup:
Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero.
Defense: Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelöf, Phil Jones, Brandon Williams.
Midfield: Jude Bellingham and Fred as double pivots; Riyad Mahrez, Scott McTominay, and Juan Mata behind the striker.
Forward: Mason Greenwood.
Mourinho's message was clear—United had a comfortable lead in the league and could afford some risk. Even in defeat, they would still lead by two points with one game in hand.
The goal wasn't necessarily three points—just holding Liverpool to a draw would suffice.
Besides, although United had crushed City in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, their qualification wasn't yet mathematically sealed. With only three days separating that match from this one, the starters needed rest more than anything.
Therefore, Mourinho sent out his "second team" for this fixture—to rest key players and give the reserves experience.
...
Despite being a rotated side, United didn't play badly.
In the 5th minute, perhaps underestimating United's B team, Alisson made another horrific mistake, passing directly to Greenwood, whose shot toward the empty net narrowly missed.
In the 10th minute, Mata threaded a pass to Dalot, who cut the ball back from the byline. McTominay's flick toward the far post deflected off Nathaniel Phillips and into the net.
1–0! United took the lead.
But with a reserve squad, fatigue and inexperience soon showed.
In the 27th minute, Phil Jones fouled Phillips in the box. The referee pointed to the spot but overturned the decision after checking VAR—United survived.
Luck doesn't last forever, though. In the 33rd minute, Andy Robertson crossed low, Diogo Jota volleyed left-footed, forcing Romero into a diving save. From the resulting corner, chaos ensued, and Jota cleverly backheeled the ball into the net.
1–1!
In first-half injury time, Trent Alexander-Arnold curled a free kick into the box, where an unmarked Roberto Firmino powered in a header.
1–2! Liverpool turned it around.
...
After the restart, in the 47th minute, Liverpool pressed high, won the ball back, and Alexander-Arnold's shot was spilled by Romero. Firmino followed up to score his second.
1–3!
Liverpool took full control. In the 60th minute, Firmino's through ball sent Jota clean through, but his shot hit the crossbar.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Mourinho made quick changes—İlkay Gündoğan came on for Fred, and Rashford replaced Mata, switching to a 4-3-3.
Mourinho would've loved to use Bruno Fernandes, but the captain wasn't even in the squad, instead watching from his box with his two wives, Liu Yimei and Vanessa, and their children.
The changes paid some dividends.
In the 68th minute, United broke quickly—Mahrez' through ball found Rashford, who slotted calmly into the bottom corner.
2–3! The deficit was halved.
For the final twenty minutes, United mounted a furious assault, pushing for an equalizer. But Liverpool held firm, and in the 90th minute, Curtis Jones slipped Mohamed Salah through on goal. The Egyptian finished coolly for 2–4, sealing the match.
It was Salah's 124th goal in his first 200 appearances for Liverpool—third-best in club history behind Roger Hunt's 133 and Gordon Hodgson's 125.
...
It was Liverpool's first Premier League win at Old Trafford since March 2014—and Jürgen Klopp's first away victory over United as Liverpool manager.
Mourinho's men, despite their spirited effort, were defeated.
While Chelsea and West Ham also won their matches, Liverpool remained in contention for Champions League qualification.
United's loss, combined with City's victory, reduced their lead at the top to just two points.
Still, this result was within Mourinho's expectations. He had calculated the risk—hoping for a draw but ready for a loss. He wasn't arrogant enough to believe a full reserve squad could hold Liverpool.
There was no time to mourn, either. In three days, the second leg of the Champions League semifinal awaited.
On May 4, at the Millennium Stadium, the third Manchester Derby of the Champions League semifinal kicked off.
After a heavy first-leg loss, City were desperate. From the opening whistle, they launched relentless attacks, trying to find a miracle.
But their aggression nearly backfired.
In the 7th minute, United countered fast. Bruno chipped into the box, and Oleksandr Zinchenko's attempted clearance struck his arm. The referee initially awarded a penalty but rescinded it after VAR showed the ball had hit his shoulder.
Four minutes later, fortune swung City's way. Ederson's long goal kick found Zinchenko on the left. His cutback reached the top of the box, where Kevin De Bruyne—recently back from injury—fired a shot that deflected off Virgil van Dijk and fell to Paul Pogba, who smashed it home.
Pogba exploded into celebration, showing zero sentiment toward his former club.
He had history with United—Sir Alex Ferguson gave him little chance early in his career, prompting his exit to Juventus. When he became a star, he longed to return—but with Bruno's arrival, United had no interest. Pogba had instead joined Manchester City.
City's joy lasted only four minutes. In the 16th minute, Rashford's lobbed cross met Bruno's header—2–2 on aggregate.
In the 63rd minute, City countered swiftly. De Bruyne's through ball, Phil Foden's assist, Pogba's finish—2–1 on the night, 2–3 overall.
But just five minutes later, the script flipped again. Rashford crossed, and Bruno equalized once more. Pogba, furious, took it personally—moments later, he deliberately stepped on Bruno's foot near the sideline.
The referee spotted it immediately and flashed a straight red. Pogba was off.
The match ended 2–2. Manchester United advanced 8–4 on aggregate, reaching their fourth straight Champions League final.
The following day, Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2–0 to join them, setting up an all-English final once again.
(END CHAPTER)
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