October 19, (THEWILL) — Harry Maguire’s late header gave Manchester United a 2-1 victory at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, condemning Liverpool to their fourth successive defeat in all competitions. The result is United’s first triumph on Liverpool territory in almost a decade and extended the hosts’ worst run of form since 2014. Arsenal’s win at Fulham on Saturday means Arne Slot’s reigning English Premier League champions now sit four points adrift at the top of the table.
Bryan Mbeumo had given the visitors an ideal start, finding the net within barely a minute after Amad Diallo’s assist. Liverpool felt aggrieved that the goal stood, given Alexis Mac Allister had sustained a head injury from Virgil van Dijk’s accidental elbow during the build-up. The Argentine required protective headwear for the remainder of the match, whilst Van Dijk endured one of his poorest performances in months against Ruben Amorim’s mobile attacking trio.
Cody Gakpo struck the woodwork three times before finally restoring parity in the second half with a close-range finish. Alexander Isak had earlier spurned a one-on-one opportunity against United goalkeeper Senne Lammens, shooting straight at the Belgian. Mohamed Salah also wasted a clear chance at the back post shortly after Slot introduced a triple substitution, bringing on Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Curtis Jones to adopt an aggressive 4-2-4 shape.
Maguire’s header arrived just when Liverpool appeared likely to complete their turnaround. Gakpo had one final opportunity to salvage a point when Jeremie Frimpong delivered an excellent cross, but the Dutchman headed woefully wide. United managed eight minutes of stoppage time with composure to preserve their dramatic and memorable victory.
Bruno Fernandes had missed an excellent chance to double the lead before half-time, whilst Federico Chiesa entered proceedings with eighteen minutes remaining for the hosts. United keeper, Lammens, claimed player of the match honours for his performance in goal for the visitors.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
