Amad Diallo scored the equalizer as Manchester United fought back to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield, with Ruben Amorim's under-fire side ending their three-match losing streak.
Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday gave Liverpool the chance to go eight points clear at the summit, but Arne Slot's hosts started slowly in freezing conditions and fell behind after Lisandro Martinez's second-half goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had a miserable performance overall, saw a loose ball picked away by the Argentine, who exchanged passes with Bruno Fernandes before heading home.
Cody Gakpo scored a brilliant equalizer just before the hour mark, after which a handball from Matthijs de Ligt gave Mohamed Salah the lead from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.
31 – Mo Salah has 18 goals and 13 assists in 19 Premier League games this season, the most ever by a player in the first 19 games of a season in the league, surpassing Luis Suárez's 30 in 2013/14 (23 goals, 7 assists). Throne. pic.twitter.com/QpNVAnD7DN
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 5, 2025
However, another twist was to come when Diallo – the hero of United's 2-1 win over Manchester City last month – headed home with ten minutes to play.
United could have snatched the victory deep into stoppage time, but Harry Maguire somehow shot over the bar when presented with a golden opportunity.
The draw moves Amorim's side up to 13th in the table, leaving West Ham behind them, while Liverpool move six points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand.
Data Debrief: United Target Trent
United had plenty of joy on the left on Sunday, with Alexander-Arnold's miserable performance capped off when he was withdrawn late on for Conor Bradley.
The Red Devils focused 54% of their attacks on the left side throughout the match, compared to just 27.9% on the right.
However, it was the winger on the other side who made the telling contribution.
Diallo is only the third United player to score for both Manchester City and Liverpool in the same Premier League season, after Wayne Rooney in 2004-05 and Robin van Persie in 2012-13.
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