Having failed to win their previous eight Premier League away games, the odds were stacked against the Red Devils at Anfield. However, Ruben Amorim’s men got off to the best possible start, taking the lead after just 62 seconds.
Bruno Fernandes played the ball out to the right to Amad Diallo, and the Ivorian slipped in Bryan Mbeumo, who slotted past Giorgi Mamardashvili to score the second-earliest goal in this fixture’s Premier League history.
Liverpool were left incensed after Alexis Mac Allister was down with a head injury while United scored after Virgil van Dijk collided with the Argentine, but the referee chose not to stop the play.
After a sluggish start, Liverpool began to grow into the contest and were denied by the woodwork on 21 minutes after Cody Gakpo fashioned space before curling a shot off the far post.
United responded in kind, going up the other end and missing a glorious opportunity to double their lead after Amad’s square ball found Fernandes on the edge of the box, but the Portuguese maestro struck the post with his effort.
The home side appeared shaky at the back and looked like conceding every time United broke forward, as Mbeumo was denied by Mamardashvili, before the Georgian saved from Mason Mount’s follow-up.
Gakpo saw a cross deflected onto the woodwork before Alexander Isak was denied by a strong save from Senne Lammens’ feet to ensure Amorim’s side led at the break.
Liverpool flew out of the traps following the restart and were once again denied by the woodwork after Salah’s floated ball to the far post found Gakpo, who composed himself before whipping towards the far corner, but again, the Dutchman’s shot crashed off the post.
Both Amorim and Arne Slot made triple changes around the hour mark, and the game soon turned into an end-to-end affair, with Liverpool throwing caution to the wind by loading the pitch with attackers.
That approach paid off, as after Salah failed to steer an effort on target, Federico Chiesa’s ball across the face of the goal was turned in by Gakpo.
The Dutchman’s equaliser had Anfield erupting as the home crowd roared on their players to go and find the winner, but instead, United hit back in the 84th minute after Fernandes’ delicious cross into the box was headed home by Harry Maguire.
As expected, Liverpool once again threw everything forward, but the Red Devils defended superbly to secure their first set of back-to-back Premier League wins under Amorim, and condemn Liverpool to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions and third straight loss in the Premier League.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
