Chapter 784: Narrow Escape
June 19, 2020
After a three-month hiatus, the Premier League finally resumed.
At 6 PM, the first match of the resumed season kicked off at Carrow Road, where Norwich hosted Southampton. This marked the opening game of Matchweek 30.
In the first half, Armstrong and Ings squandered key chances, leaving the score 0–0. In the second half, Ings and Armstrong struck within six minutes, toppling Norwich. Redmond added a late goal to seal the game.
The final score: Norwich 0–3 Southampton, with Southampton completing the double over their opponents.
Less than 30 minutes after this match concluded, the second fixture of the round began at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where Manchester United faced Tottenham Hotspur.
This match marked both teams' return to competitive play after the break. With all players now fully fit, the second half of the Premier League promised to be a fierce battle.
Every team now boasted a full-strength lineup, making it nearly impossible to take any opponent lightly. For United, trailing Liverpool by just 3 points in the standings, this match was critical. Even away from home, they played with relentless determination.
The Match: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United
Tottenham opened the game aggressively, deploying a five-man midfield with Winks and Sissoko sitting deep, Lo Celso and Bergwijn operating on the wings, and Lamela pushing forward. This setup gave United significant trouble early on.
In the 26th minute, Spurs capitalized on a counterattack. Bergwijn surged through midfield, bypassed United's £80m defender Harry Maguire, and slotted the ball past De Gea for the opening goal.
The goal ignited United's fury, and they launched relentless attacks, with Mbappé creating multiple chances down the right flank. However, despite their efforts, United went into halftime trailing 1–0.
In the second half, United continued their onslaught, but Rashford, Mbappé, and Harry Kane missed key opportunities to equalize.
Finally, in the 80th minute, United were awarded a penalty. Bruno Fernandes stepped up and, with his signature penalty style, sent Hugo Lloris the wrong way to level the score at 1–1.
During stoppage time, United seemed poised for a dramatic comeback when they were awarded another penalty, but VAR overturned the decision.
The match ended in a 1–1 draw, a disappointing result for United, as it meant they would likely trail Liverpool by 5 points with only 8 games remaining—an uphill battle to overturn.
Unexpected Twist
Two days later, an unexpected twist offered a glimmer of hope for United. At Goodison Park, Everton held Liverpool to a 0–0 draw in the Merseyside Derby.
Adding to Liverpool's woes, two key players—veteran James Milner and starting center-back Joel Matip—suffered injuries during the match.
However, Liverpool fans found solace in the fact that Everton missed several golden opportunities to score. As a result, Liverpool escaped with a point and maintained their 3-point lead over Manchester United.
For United, the news was a lifeline. Falling 5 points behind would have virtually ended their title hopes, but with the gap still at 3 points, the race remained alive.
United players, staff, and fans alike felt as though they had dodged a bullet. Many United supporters even flooded Everton's official website with messages of gratitude.
The scene was reminiscent of Matchweek 28, when United were held to a 1–1 draw at Goodison Park, and Liverpool fans similarly thanked Everton for helping them. Though only one round separated the matches, the four-month gap made it feel like a full cycle had passed.
United fans also took the opportunity to taunt Liverpool supporters online, leaving comments like: "We gave you a chance, and you blew it!"
The Grueling Schedule Ahead
With the season set to conclude by the end of July, teams faced a grueling schedule—playing nine matches in just five weeks, alongside the FA Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, as well as European competitions.
On June 24, just five days after the Spurs match, United hosted Sheffield United in Matchweek 31.
In this game, Marcus Rashford delivered a stellar performance. In the first half, he scored twice, converting assists from Bruno Fernandes and João Cancelo. In the second half, Bruno provided another brilliant pass, and Rashford completed his hat-trick with a deft chip over the keeper.
United secured a convincing win, keeping their title hopes alive.
Manchester United Narrowly Climbs to the Top
In a commanding performance at Old Trafford, Manchester United defeated Sheffield United 3-0, moving level with Liverpool on points and temporarily taking the top spot in the standings thanks to their superior goal difference.
However, their reign lasted just two hours. Liverpool responded in emphatic fashion, thrashing Crystal Palace 4-0 at Anfield to reclaim the top spot.
Elsewhere, in a crucial match, Chelsea edged out Manchester City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
With only seven games remaining in the Premier League season, the standings were as follows:
Liverpool: 28 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 85 pointsManchester United: 26 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 82 pointsManchester City: 20 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses, 63 pointsLeicester City: 16 wins, 7 draws, 8 losses, 55 pointsChelsea: 16 wins, 6 draws, 9 losses, 54 pointsWolves: 12 wins, 11 draws, 8 losses, 47 points
Manchester City, now trailing Liverpool by a massive 22 points, were officially out of the title race. The battle for the Premier League crown was now a two-horse race between Liverpool and Manchester United, while the "Big Three Blues" (City, Chelsea, and Leicester) turned their attention to securing Champions League qualification.
FA Cup Quarter-Finals
On June 27, Manchester United faced Norwich City in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Carrow Road.
After a goalless first half, United finally broke the deadlock in the 49th minute, with Bruno Fernandes providing the assist for Mason Greenwood to score.
United, fielding a heavily rotated lineup, dominated possession under Bruno's leadership, giving Norwich few opportunities to threaten their goal.
In the 54th minute, Juan Mata set up Bruno for a long-range strike from the edge of the box. Bruno's curling effort found the top corner, leaving Tim Krul helpless and doubling United's lead.
Although Norwich pulled one back in the 88th minute, United held on for a 2-1 victory, advancing to the semi-finals.
This marked United's fifth consecutive appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals, a streak dating back to the 2015-2016 season. Their last quarter-final exit was in the 2014-2015 campaign when Arsenal knocked them out with a 2-1 victory.
Joining United in the semi-finals were Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City, making this year's final four one of the strongest in recent memory.
The semi-final draw set up two thrilling matchups: Manchester United vs. Chelsea and Manchester City vs. Arsenal—two Manchester vs. London battles.
Premier League Continues
United returned to Premier League action on June 30, traveling to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton.
After their grueling FA Cup clash with Norwich just two days prior, Jose Mourinho opted to rest Bruno Fernandes, leaving United struggling to create chances. Juan Mata, deployed in Bruno's playmaker role, failed to impress.
Unable to break through Brighton's defense, Mourinho introduced Bruno in the 70th minute, followed shortly by Riyad Mahrez, who replaced Marcus Rashford.
The changes paid off in the 78th minute. Kylian Mbappé, operating on the left wing, burst into the box before laying the ball off to Luke Shaw. Shaw's low cross found Bruno arriving at the penalty spot, and the captain drilled it into the net for the opening goal.
United seized control of the game, and in the 85th minute, João Cancelo set up Mahrez, who weaved through Brighton's defense before slotting home to make it 2-0.
In the 90th minute, Greenwood's pinpoint long ball found Bruno at the far post. The captain unleashed a stunning volley to seal a 3-0 victory for United.
Manchester City Thrashes Liverpool
Three days later, on July 3, a pivotal match took place at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City hosted Liverpool.
City dominated from the outset, nearly taking the lead in the 2nd minute through Gabriel Jesus, but his goal was disallowed for offside.
In the 25th minute, Raheem Sterling was brought down in the box, earning City a penalty. Kevin De Bruyne converted with ease to give City a 1-0 lead.
City doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when Sterling finished off a swift counterattack with a clinical strike.
Just before halftime, Phil Foden combined beautifully with De Bruyne before slotting home to make it 3-0—Liverpool's heaviest halftime deficit since Jürgen Klopp took over as manager.
City added a fourth goal in the 66th minute when Sterling's shot deflected off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and into the net for an own goal.
City nearly scored a fifth during stoppage time, but VAR ruled the goal out. The match ended 4-0, a humiliating defeat for the newly crowned champions.
Liverpool's stunning loss opened the door for Manchester United, reigniting hope in the Premier League title race.
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