Liverpool suffered a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time in 11 years as Manchester United won 2-1 on Sunday to end their nearly decade-long wait for victory at Anfield.
An 84th-minute header from Harry Maguire secured back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time during Ruben Amorim’s tenure as United manager.
With twelve minutes left, Cody Gakpo had canceled out Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal after just 61 seconds.
The defeat leaves Liverpool four points behind Arsenal at the top of the table and Arne Slot is still searching for answers on how to get the right combination after spending almost 450 million pounds ($604 million) on new players in the transfer market.
United move to within two points of their historic rivals and are in ninth place in the table to ease the pressure on Amorim after their biggest win in almost a year in charge.
Liverpool had only lost one of the teams’ previous 14 Premier League meetings and United had not tasted victory at Anfield since the early days of Jurgen Klopp’s reign in January 2016.
However, the Reds are in a state of flux after transforming last season’s title-winning team and the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in July.
After three consecutive defeats for the first time under Slot’s reign, Liverpool could hardly have imagined a worse start.
Mbeumo beat Virgil van Dijk with ease before slotting past Giorgi Mamardashvili following a pass from Amad Diallo just a minute later.
The home team and fans were furious that play was not stopped in the build-up after Alexis MacAllister went down with a head injury, inflicted by his own captain Van Dijk.
Slot left £100m signing Florian Wirtz on the bench for the second game in a row as he searched in vain to find the right balance between defense and attack.
Gakpo should have equalized for the defending champions when he hit the post from Mohamed Salah’s pass in Liverpool’s only fluid move of the first half.
However, it was United who should have been further ahead at half-time.
Bruno Fernandes wasted a magnificent opportunity to double the Red Devils’ lead when he hit the outside of the post when unmarked from the edge of the area.
At the other end, Senne Lammens rarely struggled in the opening 45 minutes but made a fine save when asked to deny Alexander Isak his first Premier League goal since joining Liverpool for a British record £125m transfer.
Gakpo’s deflected cross hit the post and the Dutchman hit the woodwork for the third time early in the second half.
Slot called on his almost £200m in forward options from the bench as Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike were introduced on the hour to join Salah, Gakpo and Isak in a five-man attack.
Salah has scored more goals than any other player in this match, but his lack of form showed in a wild shot to cut wide with only Lammens to beat at the far post.
Liverpool’s wealth of attacking talent finally broke down the door when Federico Chiesa, who had replaced Isak moments earlier, scored a low cross which Gakpo converted from close range.
However, their defensive weaknesses meant the tie only lasted six minutes as Maguire was left unmarked to head in a Fernandes cross.
Gakpo should still have rescued a point when he headed wide with the goal open after an attractive delivery from Jeremie Frimpong.
But Liverpool suffered their first league defeat at Anfield in more than a year, another blow to their hopes of usurping United with a record 21st in the English top flight.
