Liverpool experienced their fourth consecutive defeat, marking the first such streak in 11 years, as they succumbed to Manchester United 2-1 on Sunday. This victory ended United's nearly decade-long wait for a win at Anfield.
Harry Maguire scored the decisive goal in the 84th minute, securing back-to-back Premier League wins for Manchester United under manager Ruben Amorim.
Prior to Maguire's goal, Cody Gakpo equalized for Liverpool, responding to Bryan Mbeumo's opening goal just 61 seconds into the match.
This loss leaves Liverpool four points behind Arsenal at the top of the league table, with manager Arne Slot still seeking the optimal combination after investing nearly £450 million ($604 million) in new player acquisitions.
Conversely, Manchester United moved within two points of their historic rivals and climbed to ninth place in the standings, alleviating some pressure on Amorim following his most significant win since taking charge nearly a year ago.
Maguire expressed the importance of the victory, stating, “They had had the better of us over the last few years and it’s not been good for our club. We have not given our fans enough days like today, so it has been a long time coming.”
Liverpool had previously lost only one of their last 14 Premier League encounters against United, who had not won at Anfield since Jurgen Klopp's early days as manager in January 2016. However, Liverpool's squad is currently in a transitional phase following the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in July.
In the early moments of the match, Mbeumo capitalized on a defensive lapse, scoring within the first minute, despite protests from Liverpool regarding a head injury to Alexis MacAllister in the buildup. Slot's decision to leave new signing Florian Wirtz on the bench for a second consecutive game raised questions about his tactical approach.
Gakpo had a chance to equalize early in the match but hit the post, while United's Bruno Fernandes missed a significant opportunity to extend their lead by hitting the outside of the post just before halftime.
In the second half, Gakpo equalized for Liverpool with a close-range finish, but their defensive vulnerabilities were exposed six minutes later when Maguire scored the winner with a header. Gakpo had a chance to salvage a point but missed a clear opportunity.
The defeat marked Liverpool's first league loss at Anfield in over a year, complicating their pursuit of a record 21st English top-flight title.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank faced questions regarding his team's poor home record following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. Spurs had taken an early lead through Rodrigo Bentancur but failed to maintain control as Villa equalized and then took the lead with a late goal from Emiliano Buendia.
Frank acknowledged the challenges his team faced, expressing hope for improvement while refusing to condemn his players’ performance despite the loss.
Villa's victory marked their fifth consecutive win and ended Tottenham's seven-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
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