Manchester United fought for a deserved point against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday but may now be sweating over the fitness of two players who started on Merseyside.
The Red Devils took the lead through Lisandro Martinez and stayed on target after goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead. Part of the loot he deserved it with Amado Diallo’s smart finish into the bottom corner, after good work on the wing by substitute Alejandro Garnach.
United lined up with Rasmus Hojlund up front – the Dane preferred a centre-forward role to Joshua Zirkee – and Matthijs de Ligt was one of three centre-backs to start alongside Martinez and Harry Maguire.
After a difficult encounter, Manchester Evening News found Hojlund limping through the post-match mixed zone – the area where reporters gather to talk to players after the game – while De Ligt left with what appeared to be ice attached to his leg.
The potential injury would further hurt De Ligt, who was responsible for awarding a penalty midway through the second half. The Dutchman raced to close down Alexis Mac Allister in the box when the cross came in, only to see his flailing arm deflect the first Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder head.
Salah did the rest from the spot, despite Andre Onana hitting his own penalty, but United were not to be denied an afternoon in which several players impressed. Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo all shone in midfield – arguably their best performances of the season – while Martinez was also at his defensive best.
The display left head coach Ruben Amorim frustrated though, with the Portuguese tactician a little confused as to why United were unable to compete at such a high level in other games.
“I get more angry with other games, so some things are even harder to understand,” Amorim said. “It’s not about the system, the technique, it’s about something else, and that’s hard for the coach to understand.
“That’s the point and I think we should be angry and disappointed more than what we did against Newcastle. We must be really disappointed and I have to calm down and say the right things. We are in a difficult moment. If we play Liverpool every day we will do it, but we have to do it against any opponent. We have to fight hard to get out of this situation.
“The way we were really competitive, that’s the key thing going forward. I’m happy with the performance, I’m not happy with the result, but I’m really, really angry about the other games.”
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