Liverpool put on a show in front of a packed crowd in Columbia, South Carolina, and thrashed bitter English rivals Manchester United with goals from Fabio Carvalho, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas.
Arne Slot thus completes his three-match tour of the United States, having also beaten Real Betis and Arsenal in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia respectively. The Dutchman heads home with a smile on his face.
He will be boosted by the returns of several key men this week, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Darwin Nunez all expected to return to training in the coming days.
As for United, Erik ten Hag has a number of problems looming over the new season with the Community Shield against Manchester City just a week away.
Here, Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele analyses Columbia’s talking points.
Fabio Carvalho took just ten minutes to open the scoring for Liverpool against Manchester United
Marcus Rashford had several chances to equalise for United when they were only 1-0 down.
Kostas Tsimikas sealed Liverpool’s third win in three games on their pre-season tour
Carvalho claims his right
Fabio Carvalho is one of a number of players whose future at Liverpool is uncertain after spending last season on loan at RB Leipzig and Hull City. But judging by his three appearances on tour in the United States, the Portuguese-born star is clear that he is staying.
The 21-year-old is understood to want to stay at Anfield and has held talks with new manager Slot over his best position. Carvalho believes he is best in the No. 10 role but Slot has told him he could be more useful as a winger.
He played all three friendlies in the United States on the left and had three solid performances, scoring in both Rivals in Red series against Arsenal and Manchester United. He maintains possession well and gets into dangerous areas.
There is plenty of interest in Carvalho for a permanent move this summer, with Premier League clubs and many on the continent keeping a close eye on him, but after this enjoyable tour there is no reason why he cannot fit into Slot’s plans.
Carvalho has already scored two goals in as many games and is looking to impress coach Arne Slot.
Children united are fine
Two youngsters started this game for United and both put in decent performances to give Ten Hag a reason to use them as part of his first-team plans this season, with Harry Amass and Toby Collyer playing well.
Amass has been one of the Red Devils’ biggest success stories on their tour of America and the young left-back could be given a genuine chance of starting in next weekend’s Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley.
The 17-year-old left-back joined United from Watford last summer after being scouted for some time. He is a powerful, quick defender who is calm in possession and has mature positioning despite his lack of experience at the top level.
Amass faced the biggest test of his young career in this friendly, when he came up against the formidable power of Mohamed Salah. It would be unfair to criticise the youngster for losing some duels to Salah, as many experienced left-backs have done the same.
But overall he did a good job. Elsewhere on the pitch, Collyer was a constant source of energy and covered a lot of ground. Perhaps he can improve his work off the ball, but the 20-year-old is another big promise.
Ethan Wheatley also took to the field. He said last week: “The club, its history is of bringing a lot of players through the academy. And players like Kobbie (Mainoo), who played with us less than a year ago and came into the first team, inspires us and motivates us. The pathway is there.”
Toby Collyer started the match well, attacking the Liverpool defence on numerous occasions.
Harry Amass (left) put in another solid performance at left-back for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.
Gravenberch ready for a better season?
Ryan Gravenberch had an inconsistent first year in England and never really managed to establish himself in the starting XI, especially in the big games. But the Dutchman could be one of those who thrives under compatriot Slot.
This was his first appearance in the new era and he performed well in a more deep midfield role. He always wanted to have the ball, pushed forward and pressed with an intensity that belied his lack of fitness.
Gravenberch was coached by Johnny Heitinga at Ajax and would have loved to see the former Everton defender named as a member of Slot’s support team. One of Heitinga’s roles is to organise individual sessions for the players.
It would be a surprise if 22-year-old Gravenberch wasn’t on the long list of players Slot and his team have singled out for improvement. The midfielder certainly has room for improvement and could be one to watch this season, especially as he appears to fit well into Slot’s system.
Ryan Gravenberch (left) started in a deeper role than he usually played under Jurgen Klopp.
The problems of Ten Hag number 9
United had one obvious problem in this game: their slow and disorganised defence. But another worrying trend was the lack of a No. 9, with Jadon Sancho leading the line for most of the game.
Rasmus Hojlund has been ruled out for about six weeks due to injury and new signing Joshua Zirkzee, the Dutchman who signed from Bologna earlier this summer, has not joined his new team in the United States.
Sancho, a winger by trade, was the only striker from the start. He had some good moments, but overall he looked like a square peg in a round hole and never seemed a real threat.
Young striker Wheatley is of course an option for Ten Hag and has been working closely with new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy. “He was probably one of the best strikers we’ve had at the club. As soon as he came in I’ve tried to learn from him,” he said this week.
But one can’t help but think that United look unprepared in attacking areas ahead of the new season.
Jadon Sancho started for United but failed to make a real impact on the game
Colombia takes advantage of England’s greatest rivalry
Columbia, South Carolina, is light-years away from the bright lights and vibrancy of Philadelphia and Los Angeles, the teams’ most recent home bases. The 78,000-seat Williams-Brice Stadium could accommodate more than half of the city’s 139,000 residents.
It is primarily used for college football and is home to the Carolina Gamecocks college team. This was the first time a Premier League team played here. The fact that the two biggest clubs in England were in the city is an excellent achievement for the organizers.
Both clubs wanted to play here because it allowed them to travel back home, as both teams had to fly to the North West of England immediately after the match. The match also provided a huge financial incentive for the clubs, as tickets were sold at very high prices.
Ranked 76th on a Nielsen list of North American cities with the best marketing opportunities, Columbia was a leap into the unknown. But the local economy of the South Carolina capital was set to experience a huge financial boom.
Williams-Brice Stadium provided a great spectacle as England’s two biggest football clubs met.
On Thursday, hotels were averaging about $60 a night, and by the weekend that figure was around $1,000, while Uber drivers and restaurants saw opportunities to raise their prices. It was suggested that people had travelled from all 50 US states to attend the gathering.
Fans were reportedly worried when torrential rain fell on the stadium two hours before kick-off. Lightning flashed almost every minute and thunder rumbled across the city.
