Manchester United rallied to snap a four-game losing streak and halt Liverpool’s romp towards the Premier League title in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Liverpool move six points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand to come, over second-placed Arsenal.<\/p>\n
But this was an opportunity lost for Arne Slot’s men after they came from behind to lead 2-1 through Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah’s penalty.<\/p>\n
United broke their six-year goal drought at Anfield to open the scoring in spectacular fashion through Lisandro Martinez and got the point a much-improved performance deserved when Amad Diallo levelled on 80 minutes. A point edges the Red Devils up to 13th in the table and seven clear of the relegation zone.<\/p>\n
Liverpool boss Slot warned that United were “much better” than their shocking league position suggested ahead of the game and so it proved.<\/p>\n
United had been carved open at will by Newcastle in a dismal 2-0 defeat on Monday that left manager Ruben Amorim declaring they were in a relegation battle. Amorim’s hand was strengthened by the return of captain Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte from suspension, while Kobbie Mainoo also returned to the starting line-up.<\/p>\n
The Portuguese’s plan to frustrate Liverpool worked but the home side did have the chances early on to make the breakthrough.<\/p>\n
Gakpo prodded past the far post from Ryan Gravenberch’s through ball.<\/p>\n
Moments later Salah picked out Alexis Mac Allister with a sumptuous pass that the Argentine caught flush and forced Andre Onana into a fine save with his feet.<\/p>\n
United took time to begin to impose themselves as an attacking threat but should have been in front before the break.<\/p>\n
Diallo miscued his header with the goal gaping from Diogo Dalot’s cross.<\/p>\n
Rasmus Hojlund then had the best chance of the first half when he raced in behind the Liverpool defence but could not beat Alisson Becker.<\/p>\n
However, confidence was suddenly coursing back into United players who have looked bereft in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
The visitors’ breakthrough came from an unlikely source as Martinez showed his strikers how to finish with a blistering hit in off the underside of the bar for just his second goal for the club.<\/p>\n
The Anfield crowd were beginning to get restless as the league leaders were briefly at sixes and sevens.<\/p>\n
However, Liverpool’s position at the top of the table owes much to the depth of firepower they possess.<\/p>\n
Even on a quiet day for Salah, they had an in-form forward to come up with the moment of magic required to turn the game.<\/p>\n
Gakpo turned inside his Dutch international colleague Matthijs de Ligt and blasted high past Onana for his 10th goal in 15 games on the hour mark.<\/p>\n
Despite the equaliser Slot immediately made two offensive changes, as Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were introduced, and got his reward.<\/p>\n
MacAllister’s header flicked off De Ligt’s outstretched arm inside the penalty area and a VAR review resulted in the awarding of a spot-kick.<\/p>\n
Salah smashed low and hard beyond Onana for his 18th Premier League goal in 19 games.<\/p>\n
However, United’s spirited display got the point it merited to halt an alarming losing streak for Amorim so early in his reign.<\/p>\n
Alejandro Garnacho’s attitude has been questioned by his new boss but the Argentine came off the bench to make the equaliser as his low cross was turned in by Diallo.<\/p>\n
And it should have been even better for United when Harry Maguire spooned Joshua Zirkzee’s pass over the bar with the goal gaping deep into stoppage time.<\/p>\n
By Agencies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Manchester United rallied to snap a four-game losing streak and halt Liverpool’s romp towards the Premier League title in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday. Liverpool move six points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand to come, over second-placed Arsenal. But this was an opportunity lost for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":288364,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49426],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-288360","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-worldnews"},"yoast_head":"\n