Liverpool have been starting games slowly of late, and it took them a while to warm up in the driving rain at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon

Liverpool have made a habit of starting matches slowly in recent weeks, and they did so again at Old Trafford on Sunday.

In the past week alone the Reds conceded inside 90 seconds to Brighton at Anfield, and almost went behind in the first 30 when bottom side Sheffield United came to Merseyside in midweek.

The slow starts are often things that Jurgen Klopp’s side can overcome due to the powers of recovery that have often powered their title challenge, but they risked going behind again on Sunday when Manchester United had the ball in the net in the opening exchanges.

Just as for most of the FA Cup clash on this ground three weeks ago, Liverpool had started the game with control, but they were far too easily played through in midfield, and when a United attack saw Bruno Fernandes play Alejandro Garnacho through to slot into the net there were plenty inside Old Trafford who thought the hosts had the lead.

The truth was that Garnacho was always quite clearly offside – although perhaps wouldn’t have been if Fernandes had played the pass a little earlier – but the moment prompted a look of concern from Jurgen Klopp, who turned to his bench and shook his head.

Luis Diaz scored the only goal of the first half (
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Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Klopp then gestured towards his midfielders Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to close the space afforded to United quicker, with Virgil van Dijk also instructing those in front of him to do the same.

That was really the only difficult moment of the first half from then on for the visitors, who took the lead when Darwin Nunez’s flick from a corner was fired in at the back post by an unmarked Luis Diaz.

It was a goal that Liverpool richly deserved, and one they could and probably should have added to during a first half of dominance which featured efforts from Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez among others.

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As they often do, the Reds had got over their slow start, and were good value for their lead at the break.