Harry Maguire’s 84th-minute header completed a dramatic 2-1 win for Manchester United at Anfield, snapping a barren run on this ground stretching back to 2016 and deepening Liverpool’s slump to four consecutive defeats. United had struck inside 62 seconds through Bryan Mbeumo amid a head-injury controversy, Cody Gakpo equalised with 12 minutes remaining, and then seized the night when Bruno Fernandes arced a superb first-time volleyed cross for Maguire to guide home from close range.
This was a breathless, high-wire match. Liverpool rattled the frame of the goal three times, with the irrepressible Gakpo at the heart of the action; Mohamed Salah passed up big openings, and in stoppage time Gakpo headed wide from Jeremie Frimpong’s cross, with the Kop waiting to erupt. United rode their luck at times, but Senne Lammens repelled Alexander Isak one-on-one, and the visitors held their nerve across eight added minutes to claim a statement victory that also gives Ruben Amorim his first run of back-to-back league wins as United manager.
A goal in 62 seconds and a row that rumbled all night.
United’s opener arrived before the contest had settled. As Alexis Mac Allister lay prone after a mid-air collision with Virgil van Dijk and Mbeumo, referee Michael Oliver allowed play to continue. United moved the ball quickly: Fernandes switched to Amad Diallo, whose pass threaded Mbeumo into a tight angle, and the finish beat Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured Alisson. Replays showed Van Dijk’s elbow catching Mac Allister, who was later treated and returned in protective headgear.