Liverpool vs Man Utd: Late goal was pure comfort food for the soul

The late goal scored by Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana to get them a 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday was pure comfort food for the soul.

We may have not played that well, but when has that ever really mattered in football? Going behind, having a goal ruled out by VAR and then hitting back with just minutes left on the clock is what the game is all about.

Sure, it would have been better if we could have walked away with three points in the bag and Liverpool did play a curiously stuttered brand of football. But all in all, things could have been worse.

And the fact that Adam Lallana bagged a goal after two and a half years without one made it even better. This is one of Jurgen Klopp’s most trusted players – a man who has fallen on hard times – coming off the bench and performing a remarkable rescue mission.

If that’s not comfort food for the soul, I don’t want to know what is.

We’re clearly all delighted for Lallana as well. There would have been grumbles of discontent when Klopp decided to bring the former Southampton man onto the field, as there normally are when he’s included, but it paid off brilliantly this time.

The opposition counts towards this reading of comfort food for the soul, too. You’d argue that Utd are up there with Everton and Man City in the late goal stakes – and it’s hard to tell which one would bring more joy.

They’re probably about the same but for different reasons, and even if Liverpool couldn’t walk away from Old Trafford with a win at least they deflated the home side’s celebrations.

So there you have it – all the ingredients are there. A late goal by a player everyone was writing off against a hated opposition. Pure, rich, decadent comfort food for the soul.