Liverpool v Manchester United LIVE: Result and final score after Harry Maguire misses sitter
The old rivals played out a thrilling draw at Anfield
Amad Diallo struck a late equaliser as Manchester United made a mockery of their recent form to hold Premier League leaders Liverpool to a thrilling 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday.
It looked as though Ruben Amorim’s United would go home empty-handed despite a vastly-improved display but Diallo swept in a shot in the 80th minute to earn his side a point.
United had gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Lisandro Martinez powered home a ferocious shot from a tight angle.
But an off-key Liverpool responded seven minutes later with Cody Gakpo curling home a stunning equaliser before Mohamed Salah put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot.
After Diallo’s leveller both sides had chances to win in a frantic finale but it was United’s fans who went home happiest. Liverpool have 46 points from 19 games, six more than Arsenal, while United moved up a place to 13th with 23 points.
Follow all the latest reaction from Anfield in our live blog below:
How Ruben Amorim can use the past to kickstart Man Utd’s ‘mission’ at Liverpool
It is yet another of those moments where Ruben Amorim is trying to create a new future, only for history – and a more problematic present – to impose on events.
The Manchester United manager won’t use Marcus Rashford for a seventh successive game, after the England forward was ruled out for Sunday due to illness. There was considerable doubt over whether Amorim would have played him anyway but the prospect did weigh over Liverpool’s preparation, since Rashford is one player even Arne Slot’s most experienced defenders had a certain trepidation about. The 27-year-old has scored more times against Liverpool than any other club, with seven goals, and many of those have been big moments for different managers.
One was the crucial clincher in a 2-1 win that was also Erik ten Hag’s first victory as United manager.
How Amorim can use the past to kick-start Man Utd ‘mission’ at Liverpool
The Portuguese has pushed for a severe change to reverse a negative cycle, but a daunting trip to Anfield will test his commitment
Match facts
Liverpool have won their last three Premier League matches, scoring 3+ goals in each victory with 14 goals in total. They last had a longer winning run while scoring three or more goals in each win in February/March 2014 (six in a row).
Manchester United have lost their last three Premier League games. They haven’t lost four league games in a row in the same season since between December and February 1979, while they last suffered four defeats in a row without scoring back in April 1909.
Manchester United can reverse damning decline with one missing quality: ‘We are starving’
When Ruben Amorim got to convey good news, it still came with a demand. He informed Harry Maguire that Manchester United were triggering the extension to his contract, capping a personal renaissance after the defender lost his place and the captaincy under Erik ten Hag. But Amorim wants to see more as Maguire is tied down for another year at Old Trafford. “He has to improve as a leader,” said the head coach.
If Amorim was imported to bring his brand of leadership, a youthful manager feels he has too few authority figures on the field. “When you look at our team, we are starving for leaders on the pitch,” said Amorim. If it was damning, United have some of the symptoms of teams who often lack leaders.
They can struggle to respond to setbacks. They concede goals in quick succession; two in three minutes to Bournemouth, in seven to Nottingham Forest, in nine to Tottenham. They sometimes lose their way in games. Over the last two years, they have suffered heavy defeats or lost matches when they had the pressure of being favourites. There are times when they lack control: it could be attributed in the past to the sacked Ten Hag’s chaotic tactics and more recently to a struggle to adapt to Amorim’s very different system.
Man Utd can reverse damning decline with one missing quality
The Portuguese coach has noticed an alarming lack of leadership and has urged his squad to step up after extending Harry Maguire’s stay at Old Trafford
Recent meetings: Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool
Rewind to the beginning of this season, and a hopeful Manchester United hosted Arne Slot’s new Liverpool side at Old Trafford.
Less was known about the Dutchman at this point in the season, but his side produced a brilliant performance to take a 3-0 away win in what was also one of the major steps towards United sacking Erik ten Hag.
Two mistakes from Casemiro helped Liverpool on the way, with Luis Diaz bagging a first-half brace before Mo Salah finished the game off in the 56th minute.
Liverpool have hardly looked back, losing just one game since.
Liverpool’s vision revealed by Arne Slot and Ruben Amorim’s key difference
Jurgen Klopp dropped his bombshell, he later revealed, in November 2023. In January 2024, he went public. Liverpool’s search for a manager could begin; not publicly, given their preference for doing their business as quietly as possible, but at least with one layer of secrecy removed.
They were soon informed that Xabi Alonso was minded to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for another year. To many in the wider world, Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim assumed a status as the frontrunner after that. Not so, Liverpool would say; he was merely one of several they looked into. There was no preferred choice, they insist, until they alighted on Feyenoord’s Arne Slot. But he seemed to emerge from the shadows. The high-profile nature of the Portuguese’s candidacy contrasted with the low-key approach adopted by Slot. He got the job by stealth, almost without warning.
Five months after he might have done, Amorim will make it to Anfield on Sunday; but in charge of Manchester United. A meeting of managerial opposites has given them very different experiences in charge of England’s two biggest clubs. Slot has had the smoothest of starts at Liverpool, Amorim the rockiest of beginnings at United. Slot has taken his team to the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables. Amorim has warned his new employers are at risk of dropping into the Championship. “This club needs a shock,” he said on Monday.
Liverpool’s vision revealed by Arne Slot and Ruben Amorim’s key difference
The Reds considered the Portuguese coach, only to opt for the Dutch tactician, who has shone as Jurgen Klopp’s successor
Ruben Amorim admits Manchester United players are ‘anxious and afraid’ ahead of Liverpool clash
Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United’s struggles have taken their toll on him over the past seven weeks.
Any initial managerial bounce Amorim enjoyed after replacing Erik ten Hag in mid-November has quickly faded and United will head to Anfield on Sunday on a run of four straight defeats, six in their last eight, having slumped to 14th in the Premier League.
Amorim had warned after the 4-0 win over Everton at the start of December that the “storm will come” and so it has proven as United have lost their last three league games by conceding seven and scoring none.
Ruben Amorim admits Man Utd players are ‘anxious and afraid’ ahead of Liverpool clash
United will head to Anfield on Sunday on a run of four straight defeats
Match facts
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games against Manchester United (W7 D5), going down 2-1 at Old Trafford in August 2022.
United haven’t won any of their last eight league away games against Liverpool (D4 L4), their longest such run since a run of nine between 1970 and 1979. They have scored just one goal in their last eight Premier League away games against Liverpool, failing to score in each of the last five.
Slot addresses rumours
Arne Slot had plenty of rumours to address in his press conference, and he started by saying that Alexander-Arnold “is playing on Sunday and hopefully he brings the same performance that he has done for the first half of the season.
“I see the way he is in training and he is fully committed to us,” he added.
On van Dijk, he said: “He is a complete player. He is the one that leads the team from start to finish. From the moment I blow my whistle on the training ground, he is the one player that you can always hear. He brings a lot of positive energy.”
On Salah: “I think it’s difficult to compare players. If I only look at my own team, Virgil also has an outstanding season but he doesn’t have the numbers because he is a defender. The numbers Mo has speak for themselves. If you simply look at the numbers and the way he’s playing, he’s definitely a great, great player.”
He added: “It is always important that you have players or staff players that know how to work things. But we are here at one of the best clubs in the world so it is normal that we have players that have won things in their career.”
Mohamed Salah provides update on Liverpool contract talks: ‘It’s my last year in the club’
Mohamed Salah has said he refuses to be distracted by the uncertainty about his future, as he concentrates on having an “unbelievable season” to meet his target of winning the Premier League again with Liverpool.
The Egypt forward is in the last six months of his contract and said he is still “far away” from agreeing a new deal with the club.
But Salah leads the way in Premier League for both goals and assists, with 17 and 13, as he has helped Liverpool take a six-point lead.
Mohamed Salah provides update on Liverpool contract talks
Speculation has been rife over the forward’s future at Anfield, with his deal expiring this summer
Team news
“Unsurprisingly, Ruben Amorim does not stick with the double act of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen after their unfortunate outing against Newcastle.
“Instead, he makes three changes. As expected, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte return from suspension and Kobbie Mainoo comes into the team after making a difference as a substitute against Newcastle.
“Joshua Zirkzee also drops out, which is no great shock after fans welcomed his first-half removal on Monday. For Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate is the surprise inclusion, returning earlier from injury than anticipated.”
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