Amad Diallo equalizes as Manchester United finally get up against Liverpool | first division

A night of some redemption for manchester united He was not exempt from his usual agony at Anfield. There were seconds left in a gripping battle between the two old rivals when Joshua Zirkzee, mocked mercilessly by the Old Trafford faithful on Monday, found himself staring at Alisson's goal.

He turned down the chance for glory in favor of bringing on Harry Maguire, another maligned figure during United's long fall from grace. He found row Z of the Anfield Road stand and United's wait for a first victory in Liverpool In nine years it continues. Ruben Amorim squatted as the latest miss unfolded and soon emerged through the Anfield tunnel, although there was plenty to cheer United's troubled manager here.

Liverpool maintain a six-point lead in the first division At the summit and on course to equal United's 20 league titles at the end of the season, they also equaled the club's longest unbeaten sequence against United. But there was frustration in the home ranks at not having been able to intensify the misery of their rivals. The previous conditions of struggle and organization were exposed from United. Quality and confidence were lacking, understandably in the case of the latter, but at least there was a clear plan to contain the Premier League leaders and the determination to achieve a result.

There were also legs in the visiting midfield after Amorim left Casemiro and Christian Eriksen on the bench following Monday's defeat to Newcastle and called up Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo in the centre. The desire to leave Newcastle extended to the traveling fans, who chanted Zirkzee's name in recognition of the humiliation he suffered when he was booed after 33 minutes at Old Trafford.

United looked compact and denied Liverpool space throughout the first half, although both teams created excellent opportunities to lift the spirits of a cold, sodden crowd. The snow may have been cleared before kickoff, but the overnight fall and incessant rain that followed soaked the field.

Liverpool took advantage of the conditions to create the first opportunity of the game through two magnificent passes, from Luis Díaz to Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo. The Dutch international beat André Onana with a clever shot, but his effort went over the United goalkeeper and wide of the far post.

Another exquisite pass opened the visiting defense again moments later. Mohamed Salah read Alexis Mac Allister's streak perfectly. The World Cup winner, outstanding once again for Liverpool, first connected with a lofted ball from Salah, but Onana blocked it with his legs from close range. Liverpool's pressure was increasing, as was the feeling of inevitable progress.

It is to United's credit that they caused a fleeting sensation in the first half. Amorim's team combined defensive resistance with a threat of its own. The visitors' biggest threat came from the left, with Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Højlund thriving in space behind Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Scrutiny was more intense than ever on the Liverpool right-back following Real Madrid's failed bid for his services earlier in the week. The spotlight was relentless. Amad Diallo should have put United ahead when Dalot separated from Alexander-Arnold and crossed to the young winger, unmarked in the six-yard box. However, Diallo got ahead of the center and managed to deflect a header away from Alisson's goal, accidentally receiving a knee to the back from the Liverpool goalkeeper in the process.

Shortly before half-time, Højlund had another great chance to open the scoring when he ran behind the Liverpool defense and took advantage of a pass from Lisandro Martínez. Alisson saved from a tight angle before Alexander-Arnold blocked Mainoo's follow-up.

Second-half improvements have been a feature of Liverpool's title challenge. This was not without complications and the need to delve into those vast reserves of experience and beliefs. Seven minutes after the restart, United surprised Anfield by taking the lead in style. Martínez was the first to make a hopeful clearance from Alexander-Arnold and fed Fernandes before continuing his charge into the Liverpool box. The United captain returned a polished pass to Martínez, who fired an unstoppable shot off the underside of Alisson's crossbar from a tight angle.

The defender's first goal of the season sparked huge celebrations at United. They were restricted after seven minutes when Gakpo scored an equally impressive goal from an awkward angle. Played on the left by Mac Allister, Gakpo was invited to cut back on his right foot by a careless and over-committed lunge from Matthijs De Ligt. The striker took advantage of his international teammate's mistake to beat Onana with a powerful shot that hit the roof of the net.

De Ligt was surprised for the second time when Liverpool took the lead thanks to a VAR intervention. Referee Michael Oliver initially signaled for play to continue when Mac Allister's header from Alexander-Arnold's cross hit the United defender's raised arm. Proximity could have been the only reason. The VAR recommended looking at the pitch-side monitor. De Ligt's arm was raised in an unnatural position and Salah swept the inevitable resulting penalty past Onana's left hand.

United called to fight and make an effort once again. Fernandes freed Alejandro Garnacho on the left with a good pass. The substitute dragged a low cross behind the retreating Liverpool defense and Diallo managed to score the equalizer from six yards. Both teams could have achieved victory in a frenetic finale. Fernandes almost caught Alisson at his near post, Diogo Jota had a shot go wide and Virgil van Dijk headed tamely at Onana from the resulting corner.