Anfield served a pulsating chapter in the Manchester United and Liverpool rivalry as the Premier League giants delivered a memorable 2-2 draw.
Four consecutive domestic defeats damaged the feel-good factor Ruben Amorim installed on his arrival.
But, a spirited performance from the 20-time English champions highlighted the desire for improvement in the squad and the ability that exists within the ranks of a wounded football club.
A deserved point can act as a catalyst for further improvement, but it will stand for nothing if this group are unwilling to harness the momentum heading into an FA Cup third-round trip to Arsenal next weekend.
Mainoo, Ugarte and Bruno supply a notable difference
December returned the most forgettable of months with a plethora of disenchanting performances and defeats.
Inevitably, confidence has suffered, and individual performances have failed to live up to inflated price tags.
Amorim made three changes from the side that fell to Newcastle, with Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes returning to the starting XI.
The Portuguese tactician was encouraged by his side’s start in an even contest between these historic rivals. United saw plenty of the ball within the opening half-hour, and although the home side had more clinical opportunities, Bruno and Co supplied a constant threat in possession.
Cody Gakpo came close to opening the scoring for Arne Slot’s side after latching onto an Alexis Mac Allister pass, but his effort was marginally wide of the post.
In response, Rasmus Hojlund burst through on goal and saw his effort smothered by Alisson, much to the dismay of the excellent travelling contingent.
Mainoo and Ugarte excelled at the heart of midfield and offered ample evidence to suggest their partnership holds the long-term solution for the Old Trafford side.
Notably, the Reds enjoyed ample success down the left flank, with Trent Alexander-Arnold regularly targetted amidst recent reports of an impending move to Madrid.
United’s positive performance continued after the restart, and Trent was again the focus of attention. Fernandes was in imperious form for the travelling side, and he dictated transitions with exquisite precision.
Deservedly, Amorim’s men took the lead after 52 minutes through Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentine intercepted Alexander-Arnold’s pass and offloaded to Bruno before the Portuguese captain beat several men, expertly returned to his defender and allowed the World Cup winner to hammer the ball into the roof of the net.
Gakpo levelled the tie within seven minutes with an excellent individual effort before Mohamed Salah smashed home from the penalty spot following an unfortunate Matthijs de Ligt handball in the area.
Alejandro Garnacho was introduced after 72 minutes, and his impact was almost instantaneous.
The youngster burst down the left flank and delivered a low cross for the onrushing Amad Diallo to supply a delicate finish past the helpless Brazilian shot-stopper.
Both sides pursued a winning goal in a frantic end-to-end finish, with Andre Onana and Alisson called into action.
Harry Maguire thought he had won the tie in the dying seconds following a Joshua Zirkzee cutback, but his effort flew high over the bar to the dismay of his teammates.
Ultimately, a draw was a fair result based on play, and Manchester United have ended their goalless Premier League run alongside a valiant Anfield effort.
An FA Cup trip to North London is next on the agenda before the league visit of Southampton in 11 days.
How do you feel following a memorable domestic encounter between United and Liverpool?
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