Liverpool vs Man Utd 1-2: Harry Maguire’s late winner helps United win at Anfield for the first time in nine years
Read on as Sports News Blitz Manchester United fan Robert Bore breaks down United’s first win over Liverpool at Anfield since 2016.
Liverpool vs Manchester United. There's nothing to love about this fixture.
Absolutely nothing.
If this fixture were comparable to anything, it would be the long walk to the headteacher's office after you've just been caught throwing chips across the dinner hall. Specifically on September 17, 1990.
September 17, 1990, I hear you ask, ‘That's a bit specific, isn't it?’
Well, yes, yes it is.
Around half past 12 that Monday afternoon, I was arguing with a Liverpool fan about the demerits of his side's 4-0 thumping of my Reds the day before.
Peter Beardsley's hat-trick had been the focal point of the victory, and John Barnes added insult to injury.
My argument was that United hadn't actually played that badly, and our beloved Scouse neighbours had been lucky, which wasn't too far from the truth. But in the days before xG and possession (and even shots on target and corner counts), it mattered for little.
Neither did my lunch. Half a plate of deep-fried potato, coated in gloopy gravy, sailed through the air with positive intent towards its smug target, missing their face by the same width of the crossbar United midfielder Neil Webb had come from scoring the day before. But their navy blue jumper wasn't going to last the week.
Mission accomplished. However, actions usually have consequences, and mine was the slow walk to the head for the inevitable shoeing.
I think with hindsight it was worth it.
So on to today, and that similar sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, gripping at my insides.
A long-awaited breakthrough
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 14 league tussles with United, winning seven, and the visitors hadn't sampled success on away soil in their last nine visits.
To cap it all, Diogo Dalot was starting at left-wing back.
Within 62 seconds, that stomach knot had turned into a beautiful butterfly.
Virgil van Dijk and Alexis MacAllister challenged Bryan Mbeumo in the air, the Dutchman seemingly catching his team-mate on the head as all three landed.
Play went on as the ball broke to Bruno Fernandes, who fed Amad Diallo out on the right.
The young Ivorian sped off and knitted a lovely ball in behind a retreating Van Dijk. But Mbuemo had reacted much quicker than the Liverpool skipper and was able to sweep the ball past Giorgi Mamardashvili in the home goal with a swish of his right foot.
MacAllister did his best to get the goal chalked off, staying down and pretending to have hurt his head, ending up looking like he was competing in the Olympic Synchronised Swimming for his troubles.
It was as unexpected as it was welcome.
READ MORE: Premier League on Sky Sports: West Ham vs Brentford preview, predictions and betting tips
Early chances and growing confidence
Liverpool should have levelled 20 minutes in after a swift break of their own, Cody Gakpo rattling a post before the ball bounced to safety with new United number one Senne Lammens well beaten.
United went up the other end when Matheus Cunha, preferred up top to Benjamin Sesko, switched a lovely ball out to Diallo, who again went direct, laying the ball back on a plate for his skipper, but Fernandes clipped the post.
Mount couldn't keep the ball down as Mamardashvili wobbled, and he could only flick the ball over the bar. But his next effort was a stinger, the Georgian stopper this time parrying to safety.
The hosts were struggling to cope with United's movement, and Van Dijk looked like he needed a map.
Meanwhile, I was struggling to cope with Dalot's inability to control a football.
Hanging on before the break
Gakpo almost got lucky when his cross nicked off Fernandes' toe and dropped off the frame of the goal, while Matthijs de Ligt made a point of going over to Ruben Amorim to warn him he was being left with two men to marshall too many times.
Lammens saved brilliantly with his feet to deny Alexander Isak after a beautifully weighted pass in behind Luke Shaw.
The youngster also kept out MacAllister's follow-up, but the ball had already gone dead, and we edged closer to the break.
Gakpo got away with it at the other end, swinging wildly at an Amad free-kick into the box, and the ball went narrowly over the top.
The resulting corner needed Ibrahima Konate to clear from under his own bar as his keeper went AWOL, and another good piece of United pressure ended with Cunha firing wide.
At the break, it was hard to hide the tiniest of smiles. A long way to go yet.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: NBA news: 2025/26 season predictions and betting tips
End-to-end but still on edge
The first real drama after the restart came from the boot of Gakpo, who hit the frame of the goal again with a right-foot rasper that flew back into play but crucially to safety.
Amad was carded after sliding in and winning the ball, punished for a follow-through that was purely momentum, while Mohamed Salah peeled off at the back post but hit his shot into the ground, and it bounced over the top.
Casemiro earned his customary yellow before departing for Manuel Ugarte, with the lively Amad replaced by Patrick Dorgu, who dropped across to the left while Dalot switched to his more natural side.
Liverpool push harder
MacAllister fired wide before Liverpool boss Arne Slot went all-out with Florian Wirz, Hugo Ekitiké, and Curtis Jones sent on.
The game would surely open up from here, and Ekitike showed his intent with a fierce but high strike from 30 yards.
Liverpool should have levelled in the 65th minute. Dalot was caught central, and Liverpool surged forward, Salah alone at the far post, but he hit wildly wide.
Ekitike wasn't far away but beat the far post, and this looked more like a basketball game now, United hoping for joy on the break.
Isak's day was done with 19 minutes left, his only real effort saved well by Lammens, with Federico Chiesa charged with finding a breakthrough.
Jones fired low and relatively tamely at Lammens, and the hosts were in the ascendancy.
AN SNB EXCLUSIVE: Anglo-American Padel Cup: Sports News Blitz speak to co-founder of the first-ever UK vs US Padel Competition
Manchester United brilliance or witchcraft?
So it was no surprise when the leveller came. United failed to clear around the edge of their own box, and Chiesa fired one low across the United box, and Gakpo was there to convert.
This would be a very long final 12 minutes or so. And there looked to be only one winner.
Amorim turned to his bench, Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro waiting to come on to, presumably, try and get hold of the ball again.
But before that could happen, they struck again. Cometh the man, cometh the slab!
United won a corner after good work from Cunha. The initial take went short to Mbeumo on the edge, but his strike was blocked back out to Fernandes, who lofted a second ball towards the far post, where Maguire was on hand to head back across the keeper and into the corner.
What was this witchcraft?
Holding on for history
Once the dopamine had subsided, the worry returned quickly as the hosts pressed again.
And it should have been 2-2, but Gakpo, otherwise excellent all day, 50p-headed it wide with an open goal gaping.
It was a warning to United, sitting back wouldn't be an option, Mainoo and Yoro now on for Fernandes and Luke Shaw.
De Ligt almost settled it, but couldn't keep his header on target, and the clock was now in the visitors' favour.
Until the fourth official's board showed an eight. Eight minutes? How on earth was it eight?
Thoughts turned back to that long walk to the Head's office 35 years ago. A 30-second route that took me an age. Each second an eternity, knotted belly, gravy-stained hands, concrete steps.
The clock ticked. Two and a half minutes left.
I'm still walking, head bowed, still expecting the worst.
I needn't have worried. Full-time came with a victory. A win. Forget that, two wins in a row for Amorim for the first time at the helm. The Anfield demons exorcised, for this season at least.
Take that, Peter Beardsley. Make mine a pint. A pint of Bisto will do nicely.
READ NEXT: Horse racing news: Champion-elect Oisin Murphy to split £50,000 between MNDA, Racing Welfare
