After a wild festive season in the Premier League, Manchester United put on a spirited show to grab a 2-2 draw against league leaders Liverpool at Anfield, a rare bright spot at a place where they’ve struggled lately.
United’s record at Anfield was pretty rough, with their last eight league visits ending without a win—going back to 1979! But Ruben Amorim’s squad came in with fresh determination, and their play in the first half-hour showed they were ready to fight. Liverpool, led by Arne Slot, had more clear chances, but United held their ground. Diogo Dalot’s perfect cross found Amad Diallo wide open, but the young forward missed a great header.
The home team was dangerous as always but just couldn’t finish. Luis Díaz wasted a good chance by shooting over the bar, and Alexis Mac Allister’s shot was saved by André Onana. Even with Liverpool dominating at times, United started to find their rhythm, with Rasmus Højlund getting denied by Alisson just before halftime in what could’ve been a game-changing goal.
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The second half kicked off with a bang, and United struck first! In the 52nd minute, Lisandro Martinez picked off a loose pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold, teamed up with Bruno Fernandes, and blasted a stunning shot into the top corner. It was United’s first goal at Anfield in six years—a true testament to their grit under Amorim.
But the excitement didn’t last long. Just minutes later, Cody Gakpo, assisted by Mac Allister, danced past Matthijs de Ligt and curled a beautiful shot into the far corner to equalize. Things swung further in Liverpool’s favor when a controversial handball by De Ligt led to a penalty, which Mohamed Salah coolly converted, despite Onana’s brave effort.
Amorim made some changes, bringing on Alejandro Garnacho, who added speed and creativity to United’s attack. His impressive run and spot-on cross found Diallo, who scored this time, leveling the game again.
What followed was a thrilling finish, with both teams going all out. Onana and Alisson made key saves to keep the match tied in a nail-biting finale. In the end, neither team could find the winning goal, resulting in a second straight league draw at Anfield.
For Liverpool, the draw was a bump in their title race, but they still hold a lead over Arsenal. Meanwhile, United can feel good about their resilience and a rare positive result at one of football’s toughest venues. Liverpool, on the other hand, can think about their recent dominance over United, having lost just once in their last 14 league meetings.
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