At a glance

  • Bryan Mbeumo gives Manchester United the lead after 63 seconds.

  • Cody Gakpo hits the woodwork three times while Bruno Fernandes misses a great chance to put United 2-0 up.

  • Gakpo equalises for Liverpool with 12 minutes left, only for Harry Maguire to head in United's winner.

  • PLAYER RATINGS

Phil McNultyChief football writer at Anfield and Simon StoneChief football news reporter

Harry Maguire's late header secured Manchester United's first win at Anfield in nearly a decade and inflicted Liverpool's fourth successive defeat.

Cody Gakpo's strike with 12 minutes left looked like it would end Liverpool's losing streak, only for Maguire to head beyond Liverpool keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili six minutes from time.

Gakpo scored from close range after earlier hitting the woodwork three times, but Ruben Amorim's side continued to press forward, with Maguire providing a dramatic finale.

United stunned Liverpool by taking the lead inside two minutes, although it was a moment shrouded in controversy, referee Michael Oliver letting the play go on even though Alexis Mac Allister was lying prone with a head injury after being accidentally elbowed by team-mate Virgil van Dijk.

Bryan Mbeumo was not waiting around, applying the finish past Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured Alisson.

In an end-to-end encounter, United captain Bruno Fernandes wasted an opportunity to double their lead, shooting wide with the goal at his mercy, while Liverpool's fortunes were summed up by Gakpo hitting the woodwork twice before the break and once more in the second half in front of The Kop. The Dutchman also headed wide late on, when he looked certain to equalise for a second time.

United's new Belgian keeper Senne Lammens also distinguished himself by saving from Alexander Isak when he raced clear.

The second half was action-packed, with Maguire's late intervention giving United their first Anfield win since January 2016, while Liverpool have lost four games in a row for the first time since November 2014, under Brendan Rodgers.

Liverpool analysis: Slot's troubles deepen

Liverpool's fourth successive loss was barely thinkable after the ease with which they won last season's Premier League title, then built on that triumph by spending almost £450m on new talent.

The champions have been short of their best since the season started, with a series of dramatic wins snatched by late goals starting to become a distant memory after this latest defeat - insult added to injury by the fact it was inflicted by bitter rivals Manchester United at their Anfield fortress.

Liverpool's defensive vulnerability has been consistently exposed all season, with United taking fewer than two minutes to inflict punishment, although whether referee Oliver should have stopped play for Mac Allister's head injury is a serious point of debate.

It must be said Liverpool did not enjoy much luck, the woodwork struck three times, but they were, on too many occasions, ponderous and looking short of ideas - and also felt the wrath of their own supporters as frustrations grew.

Their last chance was a stoppage-time header Gakpo somehow diverted wide, leaving Liverpool's fans in despair and the United followers jubilant.

What was portrayed as a Liverpool blip now looks like it may be something more.

"If you lose four times in a row you need to be concerned" - Slot

Man Utd analysis: Maguire continues to prove his critics wrong

Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez, John O'Shea, Ryan Giggs and Diego Forlan.

The list of Manchester United players who have scored winning goals at Anfield over the past couple of decades is not extensive.

But you can now add Maguire to it.

It says so much about his resilience that he is still a United player.

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was willing to sell him to West Ham but the centre-back refused to go. When I spoke to Maguire in August after he had been left out of the opening game of the season and asked about his future, he said he believed he would get enough games.

He never lets his head drop. He always does his best.

There was criticism when he was preferred to Leny Yoro at Anfield but Amorim explained Maguire was going to be a major asset in the box.

He was. In the last frantic stages, he won headers and tackles. He didn't lose his cool when it would be easy to be caught up by a frenetic atmosphere and United were fighting for their lives.

But it was at the other end where Maguire made his decisive contribution - heading in from six yards after Fernandes had superbly volleyed a cross into his path - to give Amorim his long-awaited second successive Premier League win.

In an era where virtually every facet of a player's game can be measured, it is the one that can't - character - where Maguire really excels.

United spirit was decisive factor in win over Liverpool - Amorim

Player of the match

H. Maguire
7.97
18 C. Gakpo
5.45
8 D. Szoboszlai
4.80
22 H. Ekitiké
4.75
5 I. Konaté
4.66
14 F. Chiesa
4.56
25 G. Mamardashvili
4.55
38 R. Gravenberch
4.45
30 J. Frimpong
4.40
17 C. Jones
4.38
12 C. Bradley
4.34
10 A. Mac Allister
4.24
4 V. van Dijk
4.13
7 F. Wirtz
3.91
6 M. Kerkez
3.81
11 Mohamed Salah
3.37
9 A. Isak
2.91
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