Liverpool succumbed to their fourth successive defeat in all competitions on Sunday afternoon, their worst run of form since 2014, as a late Harry Maguire header meant Manchester United escaped Anfield with a 2–1 victory.
The Red Devils thus prevailed on Liverpool’s patch for the first time in almost a decade, as the woes of the reigning Premier League champions continued in the wake of the October international break.
Arne Slot’s hosts were stunned by Bryan Mbeumo’s opening goal barely a minute into the narrative-laden contest, and the visitors led for much of the way until Cody Gakpo finally restored parity in the second half. Liverpool looked on course to complete a dramatic turnaround after the Dutchman’s tap-in, but United instead landed the all-important third goal through Maguire.
Arsenal’s victory at Fulham on Saturday means Liverpool are now four points adrift of the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Man Utd (4-2-3-1)
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—5.4: An early concession set him back, and he didn’t exactly operate as a figure of calm between the posts.
RB: Conor Bradley—6.5: There wasn’t too much thrust from the typically effusive right-back, and it was no surprise Slot opted for his withdrawal on the hour.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—6.9: After a poor couple of weeks, Konaté was superb here. United would have had much more joy in transition if it weren’t for the Frenchman’s ability to recover.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.5: Outside of one or two moments, Van Dijk was distinctly off colour.
LB: Milos Kerkez—6.3: Liverpool’s left-hand side was messy, and Kerkez perhaps could’ve done more to exploit the space he was afforded by United’s defensive shape.
CM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.5: Was an injury doubt heading into the game and could only last an hour. Didn't quite get a grip on proceedings, and there was little from him in possession.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister—5.8: His afternoon got off to an awful start thanks to Van Dijk’s elbow, but his positioning and combination play with Dominik Szoboszlai did trouble United.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.5: Lots of legs and plenty of energy. Probably wanted more from him as a facilitator between the lines.
RW: Mohamed Salah—6.3: Salah’s poor start to the season continued on Sunday. Simply far too wasteful and unreliable in possession. It was telling that he was substituted while Liverpool were chasing a goal.
ST: Alexander Isak—6.3: The wait for his first Premier League goal in red goes on, and although he wasn’t involved all that much, the Swede missed a big chance in the first half.
LW: Cody Gakpo—8.3: Well, he did get one, but Gakpo should’ve finished the game with three or four.
Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Rio Ngumoha.
Man Utd (3-4-2-1)
Starting XI: Senne Lammens; Matthijs De Ligt, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot; Bryan Mbeumo, Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha
Subs used: Manuel Ugarte, Patrick Dorgu, Benjamin Šeško, Leny Yoro, Kobbie Mainoo
Player of the Match: Senne Lammens (Man Utd)
Liverpool 1–2 Man Utd—How It Unfolded at Anfield
The October international break arrived at a good time for Liverpool off the back of three defeats, and Manchester United’s visit presented the champions with a fantastic opportunity to rediscover their very best.
However, Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils showed signs of life against Sunderland two weeks ago, with their stable, stress-free performance that resulted in three points offering supporters hope that they’d inflict more misery upon the hosts.
United’s start was ideal, as Mbeumo crept in behind Virgil van Dijk and finished over Giorgi Marmardashvili, having been found by Amad Diallo. It was a stunning opening sequence, although Liverpool felt aggrieved due to Alexis Mac Allister’s head injury in the build-up to the goal. Van Dijk’s accidental elbow on his teammate resulted in the midfielder wearing a rather unflattering piece of headwear for the remainder of the contest.
The early setback tamed Anfield, and Liverpool did struggle to craft any attacking momentum in response to falling behind. Amorim’s adored system troubled Slot’s side, with United’s mobile front three leaving Van Dijk in a perpetual state of stick or twist. The Dutchman was as poor as he has been for months.
Chances arrived at both ends before the half-hour mark, with Bruno Fernandes spurning an excellent opportunity to double the visitors’ lead in between Cody Gakpo hitting the post and Alexander Isak firing straight at Senne Lammens when one-on-one with the United keeper.
Liverpool’s success against Amorim’s 5-4-1 defensive shape was fleeting, but Arne Slot didn’t opt for a drastic overhaul until the hour mark, after Gakpo hit the woodwork for a third time. The Reds’ 4-2-4 included all of their shiny new toys from the summer, with Isak partnering Hugo Ekitiké up top and Florian Wirtz playing in midfield.
Slot’s bravery enlivened the Kop, and Mohamed Salah should’ve restored parity immediately after the triple-change, but he shanked his effort at the back post wide. It seemed as if United had weathered that storm, but Liverpool’s probing started to pin the visitors, who thought they could sit in and exploit the Reds’ aggressive shape on the counter.
Gakpo had come the closest to beating Lammens, and the Dutchman finally found the net from close range after Liverpool prevented United from breaking. That set the stage for a frenetic finale, with the likely home victory that most would have suspected after Gakpo’s strike was compromised by a pinpoint Maguire header at the other end.
There was still time for the Reds to come again, and Gakpo ought to have scored his second equaliser when Jeremie Frimpong picked him out with an excellent cross. However, the goalscorer headed woefully wide.
That would prove to be Liverpool’s last major moment, as United managed the eight minutes of stoppage time well to ensure they secured a dramatic and memorable victory at Anfield.
Liverpool vs. Man Utd Half-Time Stats
Liverpool vs. Man Utd Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Man Utd: Reds Slump to 11-Year Low.
