Manchester United defender Harry Maguire admitted a long-awaited win at Liverpool would count for little if they were unable to maintain their momentum.
The centre-back’s 84th-minute header secured a 2-1 victory, their first at Anfield since 2016 and gave head coach Ruben Amorim back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since arriving last November.
United have now won four of the last six and are up to ninth in the table – to sit only two points behind third-placed Bournemouth – and while a long-awaited success at the home of their arch-rivals was welcome, Maguire knows the bigger picture demands more.
“This club will probably get a few plaudits this week: resilience, fighting spirit,” he said.
“But if we don’t perform next weekend against Brighton, it will be exactly the same the following week so we need to build on it, we need to build momentum, we need to build positive performances – that’s the most important thing.
“Performances breed results in the end. Take the positives, take the confidence but at Old Trafford next week against Brighton, we have to make sure we perform and get the win.”
In last season’s fixture Maguire had wasted a glorious chance to score a last-gasp winner so was delighted to find the target this time around, especially as he knows it could be his last act at Anfield in a United shirt.
“I’ve been here seven years now and it’s been tough not getting that win, it’s been on my mind a little bit to be honest,” he added.
“I’m in my last year now so this could be the last time I play at Anfield for this club so it’s really important I came here and ticked that one off because it has been playing on my mind.
“Last year we performed really well here and had a chance to maybe win it so it’s a big, important win for myself, for each player, for the staff, for Ruben but more importantly a big win for our fans because it has been tough for them.”
