Manchester United's performance improved significantly at Anfield on Sunday afternoon after drawing 2-2 with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
United went into the game on the back of four straight defeats and were closer to the relegation zone than the European places, but they were impressive here and deserved more than good points.
Liverpool The team has struggled throughout the competition and will no doubt feel as if this was a missed opportunity after Arsenal's draw with Brighton on Saturday, but their advantage at the top is still a healthy six points having played a game less than their rivals.
How the game unfolded
The filthy Anfield conditions shouldn't come as a huge surprise given that Postponement was considered On Sunday morning. A sublime rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' warmed the Scouse's spirits on a miserable afternoon on Merseyside, but United's incompetent display in the opening 45 minutes initially raised a feeling of pathetic fallacy among the home fans.
The issues that were Very outstanding against Newcastle This was mitigated by Ruben Amorim's selection of a young and dynamic midfield pivot, and although the proactiveness of United's midfielders presented replacement issues, their aggression was undoubtedly a positive throughout.
Liverpool were forced into action against a stubborn team united The block gave up the space between the lines only occasionally. Fluent interplay was required to break through, and the Reds came close to achieving the breakthrough through Cody Jacobo.
The Dutchman's chance arrived amid a flurry of shots for the hosts, but United did not allow Liverpool to build any momentum in the first half, and it was the visitors who did not want the half-time whistle to arrive.
Their combination play was effective, allowing them to escape Liverpool's vaunted counter-pressing, and they took great pleasure in targeting the Reds' right flank. After Amad Diallo had misdirected a header to give United the lead, Alisson expertly blocked Rasmus Hoglund's shot head-on.
Arne Slott was no stranger to lifting his side in the second half, and the visitors were required to strengthen their ranks against their great historical rivals. Their task became more difficult just minutes into the second half, as Lisandro Martinez scored a deserved opener for Amorim – their first at Anfield in more than six years.
It then looked as if United would build on their opening goal, but Liverpool's first forward venture after falling behind resulted in an equaliser. Cody Jacobo is a man in good form, and he was a striker with great confidence in front of goal. Matthijs de Ligt was responsible for allowing Jacobo the space to shoot after he dived, and the Dutch defender was once again the defensive protagonist as Liverpool took the lead.
De Ligt was penalized for handling the ball inside the penalty area after a VAR intervention, and Mohamed Salah was on hand to chase the Red Devils back when he scored from the penalty spot.
Some might have expected the Reds to finally take control and emerge from the game, but United refused to let go and quickly regained their footing before equalizing through Amad Diallo. Amorim once again advanced behind Liverpool's right flank and Imad was on hand to convert Alejandro Garnacho's cross first time.
The equalizer led to quite a thrilling finish as both teams wasted golden opportunities to win an old-fashioned Premier League fixture. After Virgil van Dijk headed straight at Andre Onana, United eventually took the lead but Joshua Zirkzee's cross fell at the feet of Harry Maguire, who predictably headed over the bar.
Check out our Liverpool vs Manchester United player ratings here.
Trent Alexander-Arnold hopes Florentino Perez will enjoy an afternoon nap on Sunday. There has been a lot of talk about the right-back moving to Real Madrid on a free transformation This summer, but the Englishman was closer to Jonathan Woodgate than David Beckham against the Red Devils.
By the end of the first half, around 60% of United's attacks were concentrated on Liverpool's right flank.
Alexander-Arnold's indifference turned to indifference at times, with Diogo Dalot still standing behind the Englishman. The right-back has defended well this season amid an excellent campaign, but this performance was a return to an old stereotype. His work with the ball was also poor.
He was perhaps not helped by a rusty Ibrahima Konate, who struggled to defend the channel with his usual intensity on his return to the team. However, clear player real madrid Caliber should take possession of his winger, but United exploded when Alexander-Arnold was the target.
Booked and hooked to end a miserable afternoon.
Well, United didn't have it Full A week off, but that was the biggest break between games since Amorim took over.
The Red Devils have undoubtedly benefited. Their tactics were clear on and off the pitch, with Newcastle a huge improvement on Monday night. Amorim identified the centre-backs' hesitation when jumping into midfield as a major issue since last time out, with all three making a concerted effort to avoid Liverpool between the lines here. The problem only arose when the Reds' skilful front three veered off the shoulder of United's pivot.
Manuel Ugarte and Kobe Maino were disciplined most of the time while showing composure in possession, but their positional discipline was tested relentlessly and there were some lapses. This is to be expected in the face of an overwhelming force from an opponent who is always good at dismantling defensive structures. Bruno Fernandes capably scored after Maino's withdrawal, and the United captain was arguably the best player on the pitch in the second half.
It wasn't ideal, but Amorim, who described his players as “pretty scared” to perform in the build-up to Sunday's game, will take great satisfaction from his work on the training pitch. His team were more than efficient at Anfield. They could have easily walked away with all three points.
Liverpool certainly didn't have everything they wanted against the improving Red Devils, but the one man who always looked in control was McAllister.
The Argentine's role has become more fluid under Slott than it was under Jurgen Klopp, with the German asking McAllister to alleviate Liverpool's midfield woes during his season at Swansong. The emergence of Ryan Gravenberch has given McAllister greater freedom, with the former Brighton man taking on an all-rounder role.
Not only was he tasked with supporting Gravenberch in the build-up, but he was asked to run off the shoulders of opposing midfielders and provide a reference point between the lines. We saw the best of him in his space interpretation here, as McAllister tested Andre Onana after meeting Salah's deft pass in behind.
The midfielder's precise, precise work on the ball was matched by his sloppyness without it, and as his teammates struggled to reach their formidable levels at home, McAllister refused to back down. He had a hand in both goals as well.
