Manchester United won back to back league games for the first time under Ruben Amorim as they stunned arch rivals Liverpool at Anfield.
Harry Maguire‘s second half header was the difference and Liverpool now find themselves engulfed in a crisis after four straight defeats.
Amorim’s team selection raised eyebrows with Leny Yoro and Benjamin Sesko dropping out, but it was the Portuguese head coach who had the last laugh after masterminding a first league win at Anfield since 2016.
Daily Mail Sport’s NATHAN SALT gives his verdict on how both sets of players stacked up at Anfield…
Harry Maguire produced the match-winning moment as Man United won away at Anfield

Liverpool firmly find themselves in crisis mode after losing for a fourth successive match
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1)
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 5
Got away with spilling a cross from Matheus Cunha to Mason Mount in a disjointed first half but he did well to deny Bryan Mbeumo when the ball found him unmarked in the box when up 1-0. Doesn’t seem to install calmness into a defence that already feels nervous after a shaky start to the season. Can’t be blamed for the winning goal.
Conor Bradley – 6
Did much better than Kerkez on the other side in limiting United attacks down that side before he was sacrificed as part of a gung-ho finale by Arne Slot. Has had some really below par displays this season but he was largely solid in the hour or so he got here.
Ibrahima Konate – 7
One of his better games in some time for Liverpool. The Frenchman can divide opinion but he was the best Liverpool defender on the pitch. Split the United side with ease by playing Alexander Isak in and deserved an assist. Lost track of Maguire late on but was given so little help by Van Dijk and Co.
Virgil van Dijk – 5
Completely switched off to allow Mbeumo to ghost past him to score. Made a key challenge in the run to Gakpo’s equaliser but the Dutchman seems to have lost his aura of invincibility that he one had in this league.

Virgil van Dijk looks to have lost the aura of invincibility that he once held over his opponents

Milos Kerkez is a nervous wreck and looks a shadow of the player seen at Bournemouth
Milos Kerkez – 4
A nervous wreck that was targeted by Manchester United – and it paid off. Got toyed with by Amad and he didn’t know whether to stick or twist when it came to managing Mbeumo. Looks a shell of the player that we saw at Bournemouth and his nervousness is spreading to team-mates.
Ryan Gravenberch – 6
Was able to operate in plenty of space as the only deep-lying midfielder in Liverpool’s system but he couldn’t make United pay. He made eight passes into the final third but didn’t create a single chance. Ended up going off after rolling his ankle in a challenge with Bryan Mbeumo which Liverpool fans will hope is nothing more than a precaution.
Alexis Mac Allister – 4
So often during Liverpool’s title-winning season in 2024-25, Mac Allister would run a game and dictate just how it would play out. He was anonymous here, a shadow of that aforementioned player. He had just 13 touches in the first half and finished with 21 before he was hooked. Felt like he played with the handbrake on.
Mohamed Salah – 5
Doesn’t look himself at all. He’s snatching at chances, losing his duels to lesser opponents and it is becoming easier to push him onto the periphery of a game. Created the most chances of any player in the match but never looked really like troubling Senne Lammens. Badly needs a game to spark his season back into life.


Mohamed Salah (left) struggled badly, but Cody Gakpo (right) should have had a hat-trick
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6.5
Made just one pass into the final third in 45 minutes as the No 10 before he eventually was pushed back to right back when Slot threw caution to the wind. Went one for nine on accurate crosses but was one of few Liverpool players who actually looked to have composure when Anfield was whipped into a frenzy.
Cody Gakpo – 8
He will go to bed tonight wondering just how he didn’t leave Anfield with a hat-trick to his name. Liverpool’s best player on a disappointing day as he hauled them back into the game with the equaliser. Hit the post three times and badly missed a header six yards out to make it 2-2. The one Liverpool attacker United never did find an answer for.
Alexander Isak – 5
Arne Slot gave him the big sell in the build-up that he’s now ‘100 per cent’ ready and can now be fairly judged in a Liverpool shirt. Was presented with one golden opportunity by a clever Konate through ball that he wasted. Lost his battle with Luke Shaw before coming off… and not many saw that coming.
MANAGER: Arne Slot – 6
Didn’t have his team on it in a fixture that shouldn’t need much to get up for. Switched to a 4-2-4 after an hour in a desperate bid to salvage something but they were always too exposed in defence. This formula is not giving them a chance to defend their league title.

Slot threw caution to the wind when he switched to a 4-2-4 system but it would backfire
MAN UNITED (3-4-2-1)
Senne Lammens – 7.5
Made a brilliant save to deny Isak when the striker got in behind Shaw for the first time in the game 35 minutes in and was equally reassuring to his team-mates when he was brave coming for crosses. Peter Schmeichel, who was watching on, could only have approved. Could do nothing about Gakpo’s equaliser.
Matthjis de Ligt – 6
Simply doesn’t look comfortable when given his assignment at right centre back, just as he wasn’t at Brentford, because he always seems to have two men to deal with all game. Switched off to lose where Gakpo was for the equaliser.
Harry Maguire – 7
Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising selection of the lot from Amorim but just as his boss predicted, his head was going to play a big part in this game and it did. Came up huge clearing crosses out of his own box and produced the match-winning moment at the other end heading in a sublime cross by Bruno Fernandes. Selection vindicated.
Luke Shaw – 7.5
Picked out as a weak link by Liverpool, made obvious by the fact Isak targeted him all game. He was immense, far superior to the player that struggled so badly in the away game at Manchester City. Stopped a near certain goal when Isak cut back inside the area for Salah midway through the first half. Showed every bit of his experience in a tough environment.

Amad – 7
So dynamic going forward and he didn’t shirk his responsibilities defensively, either. Got an assist just a minute in and deserved a second when he did brilliantly to tee up Bruno Fernandes. Bit by bit he’s getting back to his best. Booked, harshly.
Casemiro – 6
Came into this game after playing two sets of 90 minutes for Brazil and was a surprise starter. Was combative in a strong first half display. Plugged in a good hour that saw Liverpool shook off their rhythm. Booked.
Bruno Fernandes – 8.5 (MOTM)
How badly his manager needed him to be the game’s best player – and he was. Fernandes was everywhere all afternoon and set the tone for the rest of United’s players. Hit the post when he simply had to score after a brilliant attack started by Matheus Cunha. But was magnificent thereafter and got the match-winning assist with a sensational cross to Maguire.
Diogo Dalot – 5.5
Definitely rode his luck more than most of his team-mates, especially when a cheap flick in the first half conceded possession and United broke. Deserves credit to limiting Salah to little of note before he ended up switching to a more comfortable right wing-back role when Amad went off.
Bryan Mbeumo – 7
Been one of United’s best players for weeks and scored the quickest goal of the Premier League this season so far to make it 1-0 after 62 seconds. Was more of a passenger in the second half but was immense in the first. Only Erling Haaland, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Mbeumo in 2025.

Mason Mount – 6.5
Deserved back-to-back starts after his goal-scoring contribution against Sunderland before the international break. Did a lot of valuable work out of the ball more so than on it. His endless running and football IQ in this system is invaluable to Amorim.
Matheus Cunha – 8
Immense, that’s the word for this display from Cunha. He was good in the season opener against Arsenal and lively away at Fulham but this was his best display in a United shirt since joining in the summer. Still no goal or assist but his value came in every other area of the game in a really tough clash at Anfield. Amorim was beaming at his contribution.
MANAGER: Ruben Amorim – 9
Came in for heavy criticism for his team selection but got it spot on as he out-coached Arne Slot on the day. The game went exactly as he planned with inclusions of Maguire and Cunha and he deserves all the praise that will come his way, even if he himself won’t get carried away.

SUBS
Manuel Ugarte (for Casemiro, 58) – 5
Patrick Dorgu (for Amad, 58) – 4.5
Benjamin Sesko (for Mason Mount, 61) – 5
Kobbie Mainoo (for Bruno Fernandes)
Leny Yoro (for Luke Shaw)