Man City U21s 2-0 Liverpool U21s: Match Report & Rob Page | OneFootball

Liverpool Under 21s were back in action on Monday night with the short trip to Manchester City’s academy on the agenda as Rob Page’s side looked to rescue a disappointing few days for the men following defeat for the Under 18s on Saturday and a dismal draw for the first team on Sunday. 

The Reds’ headed to the Joie Stadium unbeaten in 2026 as a group and were looking to further cement their place in the top three of the Premier League 2 with a win in the penultimate clash of the campaign.

Buoyed by the news of a maiden senior call-up to the Northern Ireland squad, Kieran Morrison continued to captain a side which welcomed back Jayden Danns for the first time since September, whilst Mor Talla Ndiaye made his first appearance for the club after his January arrival. 

Despite being unbeaten so far since the turn of the year, it looked to be a difficult assignment for Page’s side as City dominated the early exchanges and were fired into the lead when Floyd Samba arrived at the back post to firmly meet a cut back and finish a well-worked move in the 15th minute. 

Liverpool were dealt a furhter blow when Danns lay stricken on the halfway line receiving treatment, forced off inside the first half an hour of a comeback six months in the making to be replaced by Will Wright. 

Page’s charges ended the first half in the ascendancy and created their best moments in search of an equaliser with Wright’s rampaging solo run so nearly ending in a superb leveller.

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The second half was a much more even encounter before Isiah Dada-Mascoll got a run at the near post and nodded home a corner to provide a succer punch to the Reds and their chances of continuing their unbeaten run. 

Moments after the goal, it was a debut for Talla Ndiaye, who replaced the yellow-carded Amara Nallo and although Liverpool created the better of the opportunities in the final 30 minutes, it was a night of frustration in Manchester as the final whistle blew. 

Left in third place with one final league phase game to come against Crystal Palace, Page’s side can’t finish any lower than eight in the Premier League 2, guaranteeing a home tie in the end-of-season playoffs.

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Speaking after the match, Page discussed the performance, Danns’ injury, Ndiaye’s debut and Morrison’s international call-up…

On the performance: “We’re disappointed. I think we’ve been spoiled the last few weeks that we’ve had. Certainly, since the turn of the new year, we’ve had, you know, good performance after good performance. And don’t get me wrong, we were up against a very good team today. Individually, they were a very good team. Even more important than that, you stick to the plan, you stick to the game plan, you stick to the discipline and the structure of what we want to do when we’ve got the ball, and you try to get as many positives out of it as we can. And I just thought the last half an hour, we lost our discipline. We lost our discipline and our shape. Too many players were doing their own thing. And that’s what I didn’t like about it. So I’ve just told them that in the changing room. It’s part of their development. It’s part of trusting in the process and still being disciplined, like I said, to keep the shape. I’m disappointed with the goals. I really am. The first one is a cutback, and we’ve not got a runner. And I think we could do a little bit better to maybe pass on the runner in the box. And the second one’s from a set-piece, and that’s just makes a near-post runner.” 

Continued: “We didn’t want half-time to come because I thought from about 35 minutes on, which we then started to get a foothold in the game, and we started to play some good stuff. So we didn’t really want the half-time to come. But there you go, we made a couple of changes from the front. And yeah, it went to be, as I said, we were up against a very good team and individually good players.”

On Danns’ injury: “We’ll know more in 24 hours, but it was probably precautionary as well. He’s felt something, to what extent, we don’t know, but I think he’s done the sensible and right thing to do. He could have played on for the first half, but I think the sensible thing to do for his development now and for his future is for him to come off.”

On Talla Ndiaye: “Really pleased with Mor. I can only imagine the transition going from where he’s been, the teams he’s played for, to coming into this environment, and he’s done it with absolute class. And he deserved that tonight. He’s given a great account of himself.” 

On Morrison: “Delighted for him. It’s about staying focused, staying humble, continuing to do the things that have got him that opportunity. So that’s what we’ll be monitoring now and making sure that he maintains the standards and levels that have got him that opportunity to play international football.”