ERIK TEN HAG left Anfield feeling like a winner after denying Liverpool victory for the first time at their home this season.
Manchester United fans also acclaimed their side for earning a goalless draw against a side leading the league ahead of this weekend.
It says everything about where United are at that this was something of a triumph. But credit the Red Devils for getting a point from where Liverpool had won all 11 games in all competitions this season scoring 35 goals in the process. Rarely has a team from Old Trafford made the trip to Merseyside so fearful of a battering.
Indeed last season when they lost 7-0 they went into the game on the back of an unbeaten run of 11 games having also just won the Carabao Cup. The build up to this was very different with the Red Devils going into it eighth against the league leaders.
They were also depleted with captain Bruno Fernandes suspended and injuries once more meaning the back four had to be changed again with Jonny Evans back. But from the outset they were determined to put up a fight, to hang on.
Right from the start with Luke Shaw blocking a Mohammed Salah attempt and Andre Onana tipping over Virgil van Dijk’s header in an otherwise poor first period.
Liverpool were on the front foot after the break with Trent Alexander-Arnold firing into the side-netting. Then on 52 minutes Diogo Dalot got down the flank and whipped in a low cross that was just too far ahead of Rasmus Hojlund.
It was hardly alarm bells ringing for Liverpool but proof that their opponents were not giving up on this task. Then Kobbie Mainoo slid a ball through to United’s top scorer Scott McTominay but he just couldn’t get his shot away.
The fact United looked like they could nick something actually brought some noise from a previously subdued Anfield which had been expecting to humiliate their visitors.
The 57,000 was the biggest crowd this famous ground had hosted in half a century but Ten Hag’s men were managing to keep the volume down. There was actually a lack of quality on both sides.
Then came the chance as Salah squared for Alexander-Arnold and with Onana inexplicably moving the other way the Liverpool star fired just wide of the left-hand upright.
And then at the other end came the chance for Rasmus Hojlund to break his Premier League duck in the biggest domestic game of them all. Antony found captain for the day Scott McTominay who neatly laid the ball off to the £72million man but he fired it straight at the advancing Allison.
Suddenly there was belief in the United ranks and as they sensed an unlikely win and pushed for it gaps would open up at the other end. Salah pulled a save out of Onana then when Anotny teed up McTominay on the edge of the area he skied one.
On came Marcus Rashford to try and revive his disappointing season after career best figures of 30 goals last season. We had a game on now and when Darwin Nunez broke into the box he and Luis Diaz seemed to leave it for each other as the chance went.
Jurgen Klopp was pacing around, Ten Hag was chewing, staring, pointing and clapping. Both knew this was on a knife edge now when the pre-match predictions were that Liverpool would cut United apart.
There were screams for a handball when the ball bounced up on to Shaw’s arm but the referee and VAR said no penalty. Liverpool were getting desperate, and decisions going wrong as shots came in when passes to teammates in better positions were on.
Klopp’s side were poor on the day, United resilient. A game that never deserved a red card did get one late on with Diogo Dalot getting a double yellow for excessive dissent.
