ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC scored an 84th-minute header as Manchester United prevented historic foe Liverpool from recapturing second place in the Premier League table in a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

    Paul Pogba stood to be United’s fall guy at Old Trafford after conceding a soft first-half penalty for handball, which James Milner converted, only for Ibrahimovic to save his blushes.

    Ibrahimovic’s 19th goal of the season extended United’s unbeaten league run to seven games, but after winning the previous six, momentum has been lost.

    “When you’re losing and you score in the last part of the game, the team that concedes feels worse than the team that scores,” said United manager Jose Mourinho.

    “But in the end we lost the points because we were playing for three. They’re happy with a point, so they go home happy.”

    Mourinho’s side remained sixth, four points off the Champions League places, while Liverpool rose one place to third, seven points below leader Chelsea and beneath Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.

    After draws against Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle and a defeat at Southampton, Liverpool has gone four games without victory at the start of a calendar year for the first time since 1993.

    But with United five points below them, Jurgen Klopp’s men remain the more likely champions.

    “A lot of people before the game would have thought we would get a knock today because United look like a rolling beetle and everything goes in their direction,” Klopp said.

    “We know about our problems and situations, so seeing a performance like today was nice.”

    United twice threatened an equalizer before half-time, Ibrahimovic blasting a free-kick towards the bottom-left corner and Mkhitaryan taking aim from Ander Herrera’s pass, but Mignolet saved twice.

    (SD-Agencies)