A turning point? Diallo rescues point for United in Anfield thriller

And, having taken the lead through Lisandro Martinez’s first goal in nearly two years, his side fell behind to responses from Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah.

Trailing 2-1 to the Premier League leaders, United might have been expected to go quietly into the snowy Anfield night. But they, and young winger Diallo in particular, had other ideas.

With 10 minutes to play, Bruno Fernandes sent young substitute Alejandro Garnacho racing away down the left and his cross found Diallo, who arrived ahead of Andy Robertson, to score through the legs of Alisson.

Diallo, of course, was heavily involved in Amorim’s best result to date, the Manchester derby win at City last month, but this was up there with that experience, and it could have been even more.

With 25 seconds remaining of the seven minutes of stoppage time, Harry Maguire had a chance to win all three points, as he found himself unmarked 12 yards from goal and receiving a cross from substitute Joshua Zirkzee. The defender’s effort cleared the bar by some distance and, even if replays suggested there may have been an offside that would have ruled out a goal, the miss summed up a pulsating Anfield afternoon that warmed up the frigid surroundings.

Martinez had struck after 52 minutes with an opening goal that was as merited as it was stunning, given events leading into the game.

Rarely, in recent times, has a United side started this fixture as such underwhelming underdogs but they were full value for an opener that came from a poor clearance from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was experiencing a torrid afternoon.

Martinez intercepted, played forward to Fernandes who returned the pass to the Argentinian defender to finish with a flourish, sending a shot soaring into the roof of the goal from a wide angle eight yards out.

But there is a reason that Liverpool were seeking a 24th consecutive game unbeaten and it took just seven minutes for Arne Slot’s team to equalise.

Alexis Mac Allister, one of the few home stars to play up to his usual levels, threaded through a well-timed pass for Gakpo to advance, switching feet to ease past Matthijs de Ligt before finishing into the United goal.

It was an equaliser that breathed life into Liverpool and, just as importantly, an Anfield crowd that had been left anxious by United’s impressive start.

Still, Liverpool’s second goal was very much self-inflicted by United as de Ligt unnecessarily raised his arm as he challenged Diogo Jota for Mac Allister’s cross.

Referee Michael Oliver allowed play to continue but, once a break arrived, VAR sent him to his video screen, from where there was only going to be one outcome.

Salah, still at the centre of an on-going dispute with Liverpool over a new contract offer of course, converted a powerful penalty to the bottom right-hand corner for his 18th goal of the Premier League season, despite Andre Onana getting two hands to it.

But, if United folk, including Amorim, were fearing the worst, then the occasion failed to deliver that. Instead, United looked unrecognisable from the shambles of recent weeks.

His side was compact, disciplined and hard-working and, while they may not have been a constant attacking threat, there were two great chances for them to take a shock lead in the first half.

After 19 minutes, Diogo Dalot took advantage of poor play from Alexander-Arnold, sprinting down the left and crossing for Amad Diallo who was unmarked but had overrun the ball.

United still managed to keep alive that attack, which ended with Kobbie Maine’s shot deflected behind, and before the interval they looked capable of breaking the deadlock when Martinez played Rasmus Hojlund through on goal but the striker’s effort was blocked comfortably by Alisson.

The visitors had more than a foothold in the game and Liverpool, for all their supremacy so far this season and the fact they look odds-on to equal United’s record 20 league titles, were limited in first half chances.

After 14 minutes, Ryan Gravenberch had set up Gakpo who rolled his shot just wide and, just a minute later, Salah’s delightful chip into the box was met by Mac Allister whose first-time hit was well saved by Onana.

Amorim had raised eyebrows this week when he suggested his players looked afraid, and perhaps these improvements were the result of the new United manager being allowed time on the training ground this midweek, something of which he has had precious little in the time since taking over from Erik ten Hag in November.

There were some familiar weaknesses, however, and early after the restart, Mac Allister sent over a wicked, in-swinging corner which Onana just about managed to punch away, from under his crossbar. After conceding so many set-piece goals of late, even directly from corners, it was a worrying refrain.

But Liverpool were turning in a sub-par performance, and there was nothing undeserved about United’s opening goal coming, as it did, after Dalot had twice taken on and skipped past Alexander-Arnold to set up chances early in the second half.

Finally, Martinez’s opener drew the required response from the leaders and two Liverpool goals quickly followed, only for United to respond again.

It all set up a frantic finale, which, even ignoring Maguire’s miss, could have seen the game go either way; Fernandes’s effort being saved by Alisson at his near-post and Jota and Conor Bradley both denied by Onana.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 4 (Bradley 86), Konate 6, van Dijk 5, Roberston 6; Gravenberch 7, Mac Allister 8; Salah 7, Jones 6 (Jota 61, 6), Gakpo 7 (Elliott 86); Diaz 5 (Nunez 60, 6). Substitutes (not used) Chiesa, Endo, Kelleher, Quansah, Tsimikas.

Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Onana 6; de Ligt 5 (Yoro 83), Maguire 7, Martinez 7; Mazraoui 6, Mainoo 7 (Garnacho 72, 6), Ugarte 7, Dalot 7; Diallo 7, Fernandes 8; Hojlund 5 (Zirkzee 86). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Malacia, Antony.

Referee: M Oliver 7