The legendary Manchester United head coach was set to attend the game at Old Trafford, but he left before kick-off after a reported health scare, with an update given on his condition

17:27, 03 May 2026

Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital(Image: Getty Images)

Manchester United is said to be optimistic that Sir Alex Ferguson's health scare is not serious, with him returning home in a few days.

It comes after he was taken to the hospital while at Old Trafford ahead of the club's game with Liverpool on Sunday. The legendary United boss has undergone a number of procedures and health issues in recent years, including a brain hemorrhage in 2018.

The 84-year-old is recognized as the greatest manager in Premier League history. United has reportedly told numerous sources that his health issue was more precautionary than an emergency situation, after he was taken away in an ambulance.

READ MORE: Gary Neville lays into Liverpool 'mess' as 'anxious' Arne Slot players crumbleREAD MORE: Liverpool in new VAR scandal as Premier League explains Benjamin Sesko goal

Speaking on Sky Sports, reporter David Jones said: "One note of slight concern, concerning the great Sir Alex Ferguson, who's not actually been here (at Old Trafford) during the first half.

"He did attend the game earlier but was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he's having a close eye kept on him. We wish him the very best."

Ferguson is a regular at United games while still being involved with the club, with a number of his former players having spells managing the team, including current interim boss Michael Carrick.

His situation is not believed to be an emergency(Image: Getty Images)

Ferguson is somewhat close with former Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp — even congratulating him after winning the Premier League trophy in 2020.

Liverpool went two goals down at half-time after a controversial Benjamin Sesko goal was allowed to stand despite what looked to be a handball.

The striker had the ball in the back of the net after Bruno Fernandes nodded a cross back across the goal as Freddie Woodman only managed to deflect the ball onto Sesko's thigh.

Replays appeared to show that the ball did come off Sesko's hand, before it was ruled a goal

A post from the Premier League read: "The referee's call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed there was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring."

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Liverpool found a way back into the game in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo scoring to level the game.

Yet Kobbie Mainoo found a winner for United.

The Reds look to have already secured Champions League soccer, barring a capitulation against Chelsea, which is currently chasing them for one of the final spots.

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Liverpool came from two goals down against Manchester United with Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo canceling out Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko strikes. This is what we spotted.

17:26, 03 May 2026Updated 17:36, 03 May 2026

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER // Liverpool fought back from two goals down against Manchester United, only to lose to a Kobbie Mainoo strike after a game of two halves.

Within 15 minutes, Manchester United had sailed into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, the latter potentially controversial thanks to a possible handball offense. In reality, though, Liverpool was very much second best.

Adam Diallo gifted the ball to Dominik Szoboszlai early in the second half and he cut the deficit to one before Senne Lammens helped with Cody Gakpo's effort and the Reds' second. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded, with Mainoo finding a winner with a low strike.

READ MORE: Man Utd vs Liverpool RECAP: Hosts score late winner as Sir Alex Ferguson rushed to hospitalREAD MORE: Why Man Utd vs Liverpool kick off was moved as Reds eye Champions League boostMichael Carrick vs Arne Slot

This game was more about Michael Carrick and Arne Slot than Manchester United vs Liverpool, Gary Neville said earlier this week. With both teams set to finish somewhere between third and fifth in the table, the argument for that is clear.

For Carrick, this looked set to be the kind of result that would land him the job on a permanent basis until the wobble in the middle. For Slot, more questions will be sent his way after a season that has been filled with disappointing performances.

Yes, Liverpool was injury-ravaged, but it should have been able to battle better than it did in the first half here. Tactically, Slot got it wrong. Then he fixed it. Then Mainoo scored anyway. Make of that what you will.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Liverpool attack blunted

Alexander Isak was missing due to a minor injury, while Hugo Ekitike has a much more severe one that will keep him out for months, and there was no last trip to Old Trafford for Mohamed Salah. That's three huge attacking players that Slot was unable to call on.

Liverpool offered next to nothing in the final third for 45 minutes and was usually either too slow to get the ball into promising positions, or unable to get the accuracy right with its passing to bring in upfield.

Jeremie Frimpong really struggled down the right flank and while Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz had moments of quality, they were unable to sustain much. Dominik Szoboszlai, operating as a false nine, was ultimately neither a forward nor a midfielder.

That changed in the second half with the tactical tweak. It must also be noted, though, that it was in part down to Manchester United errors proving costly. Liverpool fought back, but only with some help.

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring for Liverpool against Man Utd.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Freddie Woodman does well

Freddie Woodman played very well against Crystal Palace. He made some excellent saves and looked set to keep a clean sheet until Daniel Munoz clipped the ball over him while he was lying on the floor with an injury.

This, though, was a completely different test for the 29-year-old, who arrived from Preston North End last summer to play a back-up role. Within a quarter of the action, he had picked two goals out of his net, though he recovered from those setbacks very well.

Alisson Becker may well be back by the time the Reds take on Chelsea — there was a chance he could have been here — and if so, Woodman will have quite the trio of appearances, Everton, Anfield, and Old Trafford. In a way, this ended up being one to remember, though not for positive reasons from a Liverpool perspective.

Curtis Jones experiment

Curtis Jones has played right-back a few times of late, and Slot said on Friday that the Scouser is getting better game by game. Undoubtedly, that is true.

It is correct to such an extent that Jones might see a route to more regular game time in that role, should he be prepared to accept it. That might be his likeliest avenue to being in the team as often as he has been of late.

Here, he struggled to cope with Matheus Cunha to begin with — a possibility for anyone, let alone a makeshift right-back — and was unable to get a grip of the build-up play in the same way that he can at his best.

He improved after the interval but it kind of summed up the square pegs in round holes problem. Cunha had also moved elsewhere by that point. That, surely, was a Carrick mistake.

Tale of two flawed teams

For months, Liverpool — and to a lesser extent Manchester United — has been sweating on whether it would be playing Champions League soccer next term. Even before this match kicked off, we had the answer: both will be.

Bournemouth went in front early on against Crystal Palace and that game was very quickly only going one way, meaning that mathematically, there might be a tiny bit more work to be completed. It is very close to being a done deal for the pair, however.

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While Manchester United and Liverpool are heading back into UEFA's top competition, who is best placed to kick on and challenge for the Premier League title? On the evidence of the first half, there is only one reasonable answer. The second showed the reality: both of these teams remain very flawed.

Things should improve for Liverpool when the summer comes. Time on the training field will help, as will dipping into the transfer market once again. Manchester United winning, though, is never going to go down well.

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Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Manchester United as Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo scored but Kobbie Mainoo was the match-winner at Old Trafford

17:26, 03 May 2026Updated 17:33, 03 May 2026

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring for Liverpool against Man Utd.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER // When it looked like the tide had turned, Kobbie Mainoo had other ideas. Liverpool had done well to come back from two goals down, but there was another hammerblow lying in wait.

Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko had put Manchester United two ahead before the 15-minute mark, with Michael Carrick's men taking charge of the contest early on.

Liverpool was simply unable to offer much of a threat until Amad Diallo gave possession away just after coming on, and Domink Szoboszlai was able to glide forward and finish unchallenged. Soon after, Cody Gakpo leveled.

If it was Manchester United with energy and Liverpool lacksadaisical in the first half, the roles reversed in the second. These are, after all, two flawed teams with plenty to improve. Mainoo's strike from the edge of the area proved the difference.

READ MORE: Man Utd vs Liverpool RECAP: Hosts score late winner as Sir Alex Ferguson rushed to hospitalREAD MORE: Why Man Utd vs Liverpool kick off was moved as Reds eye Champions League boostWinners

If this was a chance to lay down a marker ahead of next season in a clash between two sides set to qualify for the Champions League, it was quite clearly Manchester United that took that opportunity in the first half.

Liverpool, lacking options and depth in attack, was unable to really stamp its authority on the game until the second, going behind early and struggling to gain any kind of attacking momentum from there.

Szoboszlai and Gakpo were central to the change, but it was tactical as much as anything. Arne Slot got it wrong to start with and then corrected himself. It wasn't quite enough.

Losers

Andy Robertson would have been hoping for a fairytale ending to his battles with Manchester United as a Liverpool player, while Mohamed Salah wasn't even fit enough to come off the bench.

Across the board, the Reds players didn't fight hard enough to begin with and were physically no match for their counterparts. That changed after half-time but Robertson wasn't on the pitch for long. In the end, the Reds didn't have enough.

Player ratings

Freddie Woodman (6). This was the biggest stage that he has performed on in his career so far and things quickly unraveled. He wasn't able to stop Manchester United taking a quick 2-0 lead. After that, did well to keep his cool and showcase some solid distribution.

Curtis Jones (6). Playing at right-back once again, it is a role that he has become used to of late. He wasn't as effective in the build-up here, though, and was unable to do much to help out defensively in the opening stages. Better in the second half than the first, like the team.

Ibrahima Konate (6). Battled well with Benjamin Sesko at times but the whole of the Liverpool team lacked the ability to win their duels. The Frenchman was far from the only one. Fine, but nothing more.

Virgil van Dijk (6). An experienced head at the back, he was visibly frustrated by a lack of movement in front of him at times. He did what he could in the first half, with plenty of Manchester United runners having loads of space to exploit in front of him. Got his wish for more aggression in the second period.

Andy Robertson (5). In ahead of Milos Kerkez, with the Hungary international having been managing an injury this week, he struggled to make much of an impact going forward and was beaten too easily a few times by Bryan Mbeumo. The first Liverpool player to come off.

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Jeremie Frimpong (5). He may not have played had Alexander Isak been fit enough to be involved and was bundled off it too easily at times. His speed is useful, but Cunha did well to track back and he had two or three defenders around him almost at all times.

Ryan Gravenberch (5). In possession, he was decent enough. Out of it, the Liverpool midfield duo simply had too much to do as a two. They were outnumbered and not as physically strong. That changed in the second half with the tactical alteration, but he was still far from perfect.

Alexis Mac Allister (6). An experienced performer in this fixture, like Gravenberch, he did well to put his foot on the ball at times, but simply couldn't do the running that he was being asked to do because of the system. When that changed, the game did.

Cody Gakpo (6). When he was on the left, rather than through the middle, he drifted inside but got crowded out. Lots of the ball aimed into his path seemed to be in the air for him to head on. As the number nine, it just made loads more sense and it didn't take him long to get on the scoresheet.

Dominik Szoboszlai (7). Offering plenty of energy in the middle, the false nine experiment didn't really work. He wasn't a midfielder and he wasn't a forward, ending up not really doing much at all in the first half. He took his goal well early in the second and looked a different player with Gakpo ahead of him.

Florian Wirtz (6). He will need to step up in games like these next season. Without Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah, there was a mitigation for the attacking troubles here, but that won't be the case forever. He was fine in the first half and stepped it up in the second when the team as a whole did.

Article continues belowSubstitutes

Milos Kerkez (6). On to add some more energy down the left in the second half, the 22-year-old did well to get up to speed quickly. Defensively fine; unable to do much going forward to add to the attack.

Rio Ngumoha (6). Smashed a shot wide when Szoboszlai was in a good position, which did not go down well with the Hungarian.

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Manchester United's Premier League game against fierce rival Liverpool has an unusual kickoff time on Sunday, falling between the usual 2pm and 4.30pm BST kickoff slots

04:00, 03 May 2026

Manchester United hosts Liverpool on Sunday(Image: 2026 Allstar)

Liverpool goes to Manchester United this weekend aiming for a fourth successive Premier League victory, which could be enough to mathematically guarantee Champions League qualification for next term.

The Reds won all three of its top-flight games in April – earning Arne Slot a manager of the month nomination – and now have an eight-point cushion inside the top five with just four league games remaining.

The game against United kicks off at the unusual time of 3.30pm BST/10:30am ET (kick-off times on Sundays in England are ordinarily 2pm and 4.30pm).

No official reason has been given for the unconventional kick-off time, but it has been reported that the start of the game was brought forward an hour for security purposes.

READ MORE: Liverpool told to target Premier League transfer for $41M ace who is like Ibrahima KonateREAD MORE: Andy Robertson advised to join Liverpool rival in controversial transfer move

United versus Liverpool is the most historic rivalry in English soccer, and rivalries of such magnitude often carry with them a heightened risk of fan trouble around games.

United is aiming to record a league double over Liverpool for the first time during the 2015-16 season, and goes into the game three points and one place above the Reds in the league table.

"I think last season when we played them, they were not in the same league position as they are now," Arne Slot said in his pregame press conference.

"Then, I also said that their players are much better than the league position shows and another time, another transfer window adding a lot of players and that has resulted, I would almost say finally, in that we now see how good their players are, in terms of looking at the league table.

"We always knew that they were really good, but now they are also showing it in the league table.

"It might be a bit of an advantage that they only play once a week. But as I said, when we played them every single time, I saw before we played, in the lead-up to the game, analysing them, how good they are.

Liverpool is aiming to avoid losing both league games to Manchester United for the first time since 2015-16(Image: Gareth Copley, Getty Images)

"And every time we played, I felt the same. And now they have become, especially under Michael Carrick, more consistent in their results."

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On the importance of the final result for Liverpool's season, Slot said: "I think it’s always like that, every game you play has influence on your league position. So that’s not only when you play Man United, it’s every week in every game.

"But we are aware of the fact that it’s a very big game, not only because we play Man United, but definitely also to qualify for the Champions League and to get the highest possible position in the league table, which of course is something we want.

"We wanted to, of course, win the league. That’s not possible. And then you have to try to end up as high as possible, and that’s what we are trying week in, week out, and that’s what we’re going to try Sunday again as well."

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Bristol City interim boss Roy Hodgson says he is "very satisfied" after overseeing a 2-0 win over Stoke on Saturday, claiming 11 points from his seven Championship games in charge of the Robins

Daniel Carter

23:59, 02 May 2026Updated 00:00, 03 May 2026

Roy Hodgson has completed his short-term spell at Bristol City(Image: Getty Images)

Roy Hodgson insists he "couldn't be happier" following Bristol City's final-day victory over Stoke, with the 78-year-old "very satisfied" with the contribution he made during his interim stint at Ashton Gate.

The Robins brought the Championship season and former Liverpool manager Hodgson's brief tenure to a close with a 2-0 triumph over the Potters on Saturday. Hodgson will now return to retirement, having briefly stepped back into soccer to help Bristol City in the club's time of need.

On Saturday, strikes from Delano Burgzorg and Sam Bell proved sufficient for City to collect all three points before a sell-out crowd. Middlesbrough loanee Burgzorg handed the Robins the advantage after just a minute of play, capitalizing on a Viktor Johansson error to open his account in red and white.

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold utters his true feelings on Mohamed Salah as exit loomsREAD MORE: Man Utd owners face paying millions of dollars if Liverpool loses big game

That early opener appeared destined to be the decisive moment, until Bell tucked home from close range two minutes from time. While, in Hodgson's estimation, it was far from the Robins' most polished display since the March international break, that mattered precious little to the former England manager, who was keen to prioritize the result over the performance.

"Funnily enough, I didn't think it was one of our better performances, if I'm perfectly honest," Hodgson explained. "I think probably that a bit of the nervousness and the desire to finish well rubbed off on us all in a way.

"But, there were some good qualities to the team. I've seen us pass the ball better and control games better in some of these previous ones when we've actually been very good at doing that at times. Today was less of that, and we were put under pressure by the very talented wingers Stoke have got, and the number of crosses they get into the box.

Bristol City won on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)

"I can't fault the attitude, the desire, the discipline and the willingness of all the players to do what was necessary to get us a result. I couldn't be happier. Sometimes getting a victory like this is more satisfying than one where it has been fairly easy because you've dominated the game from start to finish."

Following Saturday lunchtime's triumph against the Potters, Hodgson has accumulated 11 points from his seven matches as interim manager. Under the 78-year-old's stewardship, City have defeated Charlton, Sheffield United, and Stoke, while suffering losses to Norwich and Birmingham City.

In reality, the consecutive Easter victories were sufficient to eliminate any lingering relegation concerns among the City supporters. The additional points secured against QPR, Southampton and the Potters have ultimately ensured the Robins conclude the Championship campaign in 12th position.

Entrusted with stabilizing matters heading into the final stretch, Hodgson has fulfilled the brief set by the Robins leadership and been rewarded with a legacy cap for his contributions across two spells at the club. He can now return to retirement content with his achievements at Ashton Gate.

When questioned by Bristol Live about his satisfaction with performances, he responded: "Very satisfied. I think 11 points from seven games, four of which have been away from home, and against teams of very good quality [is a good return].

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"Stoke at the start of the season were racing, Southampton was a tough one, Birmingham have been going quite well in recent weeks, QPR, Charlton, Sheffield United; there's been no games really where we've been handed, if you like, a team which has been struggling or coming to the end of a season in a bad way.

"We've had to fight and work hard against similar quality teams the whole way through. To take 11 points from that, especially with only three games being here, I think we can be more than satisfied.

"Everyone likes to get a pat on the back," Hodgson remarked on his legacy cap. "Everyone likes to hear a kind word, everyone likes to receive praise, and I'm no different. It's much nicer than having people boo you off the field or accost you on the street to tell you that they don't think you're any good. It's nice when it's the other way around."

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Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds expressed his disappointment after his side drew 2-2 with Middlesbrough on the final day of the Championship season — denying the team a shot at promotion

23:57, 02 May 2026

Ryan Reynolds and Wrexham suffered a blow on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)

Ryan Reynolds has revealed why he is "completely gutted" after Wrexham narrowly failed to secure a Championship playoff position.

Saturday marked the final day of the regular campaign, where Wrexham had the opportunity to claim a playoff berth and challenge for promotion to the Premier League. Nevertheless, the Welsh side was forced to settle for a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Middlesbrough, which saw it finish marginally outside the playoff places.

That means Wrexham will not play Liverpool in a competitive game next season — unless the Welsh team is drawn against the Reds in a cup game. Yet the two teams will meet in a friendly match at New York's Yankee Stadium on July 29.

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold utters his true feelings on Mohamed Salah as exit loomsREAD MORE: Man Utd owners face paying millions of dollars if Liverpool loses big game

Boro opened the scoring through Tommy Conway, before Wrexham restored parity with a Josh Windass effort.

Sam Smith subsequently put Wrexham ahead just before the interval, only for Middlesbrough to level matters through David Strelec to ensure the spoils were shared.

The outcome means that Wrexham concludes in seventh position in the Championship during its debut campaign following promotion from League One, merely two points adrift of sixth-placed Hull, which clinched the final playoff berth.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson couldn't lead his team to a fourth successive promotion(Image: Getty Images)

Reynolds, who co-owns Wrexham alongside fellow actor Rob McElhenney, turned to social media to voice his frustration at the club failing to secure a playoff spot, thereby missing out on an opportunity for Premier League promotion.

"I am completely gutted by today's result but incredibly proud of our season," Reynolds posted on X.

"We've come a long way in five years and this was the best result in our 150+ year history. More to do. But for now, we have so much to be proud of, Reds."

This marks the first occasion since Reynolds and McElhenney's second season as Wrexham owners that the club has been unable to achieve promotion at the campaign's conclusion.

The pair finalized their takeover of the club in February 2021 while Wrexham was competing in the National League, ultimately finishing eighth that season.

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The subsequent year saw Wrexham claim second place before falling to Grimsby in the playoffs.

Since then, Wrexham has celebrated three successive promotions from the 2022-23 season onwards, propelling the club from the National League through to the Championship.

Reynolds and McElhenney will now be hoping to launch another promotion challenge in the Championship next season, commencing their preparations for the campaign with fixtures against Liverpool, Leeds and Sunderland in the United States during preseason.

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