Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: Player ratings as Reds' first-half defensive mishaps cost them the game

Liverpool shot themselves in the foot in the first period against Manchester United, with Dejan Lovren and Trent Alexander-Arnold at fault for the two goals.

The Reds will still expect to qualify for the Champions League, but are now five points behind United with eight games to go.

Goalkeeper and Defence

Loris Karius (6): Unfortunate with the Rashford goals and made an excellent tackle on halfway as Liverpool pressed for an equaliser. He had a decent enough game and is looking confident.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (5): Out of position for the opener and struggled until he was withdrawn. He will be better for the experience but would have wanted to show a better version of himself on the day, which he knows exists.

Dejan Lovren (5): Romelu Lukaku ran rings around him all afternoon. He did manage to regain his composure, but the damage had already been done. Also made two ridiculous challenges on Alexis Sanchez in quick succession.

Virgil van Dijk (6): A much improved second half, but he lost his head in the first, which is highly unusual. He is normally so assured, but got caught up in the occasion.

Andy Robertson (7): The best of the back four, the Scot had a decent game, but could not quite provide an assist for a goal. He did his part well and was not culpable for either Rashford strike.

Midfield and Attack

Emre Can (7): Too many touches on the ball (again) but he offers physicality in the middle of the park and clearly has got qualities. He helped keep Sanchez quiet for a time, but does not have the range of passing that Jordan Henderson possesses from the base of midfield.

James Milner (6): Really struggled for a large portion of the match, as he just could not get about the Old Trafford turf fast enough. He has been playing very well in recent weeks, but this was a performance that looked like his legs just could not handle the size of the pitch.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (4): Nothing came off for him all game, and it was a surprise to see him shaking his head as he was hooked for Adam Lallana. Oxlade-Chamberlain had done nothing in the game to suggest he should have stayed on: passes were going astray and his first touch had deserted him. There is a better player in him that this, for sure.

Mo Salah (6): Every time he got the ball, there were two or three players surrounding him. Jose Mourinho was always going to have a plan concocted to stop the Egypt winger he let go during his time at Chelsea, and it worked to a tee.

Roberto Firmino (6): Hardly got a touch in the first half, but started to come alive a little more in the second. He worked and worked as he always does but never got a clear-cut chance to score.

Sadio Mané (6): He was able to get into space at times, but never fully capitalised. The one time he did, it forced the own goal as he drove at the United defence. Mané has not been at his best for a number of months, and looked slightly off it again today.