Battle Of The Reds: How Man United Held Liverpool To Draw At Anfield

A resilient Manchester United secured a point on Sunday following their 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

Although the Premier League leaders, Liverpool extended their advantage at the top of the table to six points with a game behind their contenders.

Cody Gakpo equalized for Liverpool after Lisandro Martinez’s unexpected opening goal for United. Mohamed Salah then converted a penalty to give Liverpool the lead, but Amad Diallo found the net late in the match to level the score.

Naijaonpoint reports that Sunday’s match result represented a missed opportunity for Arne Slot‘s team, who had initially come from behind to lead 2-1 thanks to Gakpo and Salah’s penalty.

United ended a six-year goal drought at Anfield with a stunning strike from Lisandro Martinez and earned a well-deserved point when Amad Diallo equalized in the 80th minute.

This draw lifts the Red Devils to 13th place in the standings, putting them seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Liverpool’s manager, Slot, had cautioned before the match that United was “much better” than their poor league position indicated, a statement that was validated during the match.

United had suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Newcastle earlier in the week, prompting manager Ruben Amorim to declare a relegation battle.

However, the return of captain Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte from suspension, along with Kobbie Mainoo’s inclusion in the starting lineup, bolstered Amorim’s strategy.

The Portuguese manager’s approach to frustrate Liverpool proved effective, although the home team had several opportunities early in the match to take the lead.

Gakpo maneuvered past the far post following a through ball from Ryan Gravenberch.

Shortly thereafter, Salah delivered a magnificent pass to Alexis Mac Allister, who struck the ball cleanly, compelling Andre Onana to make an impressive save with his feet.

Manchester United took some time to establish themselves as a formidable attacking force but should have taken the lead before halftime.

Diallo misdirected his header with the goal wide open from Diogo Dalot’s cross.

Rasmus Hojlund then had the clearest opportunity of the first half when he broke through the Liverpool defense but was unable to overcome Alisson Becker.

Jamie Carragher’s Reaction

In a post-match interview, Liverpool icon, Jamie Carragher, characterized the team’s 2-2 stalemate with Manchester United as “a missed opportunity.”

Carragher observed that there was much expectation that Liverpool would beat the Red Devils black and blue on Sunday evening.

Unfortunately, the Liverpool legend said the reverse was the case after the 2-2 outcome at Anfield.

“It will feel like an opportunity lost for Liverpool.

“They will have seen Arsenal’s result last night and expected to come into this game and win.

“There was too much of a feeling coming into the game that Liverpool would whack Manchester United aside. People were talking about how many goals they were going to score. But it wasn’t to be,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.