The famous victory was a story of persistence, with United taking an early lead, absorbing sustained pressure, and then refusing to settle for a point after being pegged back.
Electric Start and Liverpool's Near Misses
The match began at a frantic pace, with United shocking the home crowd inside the first two minutes. A fluid counter-attack saw Bruno Fernandes combine with Amad Diallo, who provided a neat assist for Bryan Mbeumo. The forward finished clinically, striking the ball past Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Liverpool, smarting from the early setback and looking to end a recent run of poor results, responded with relentless pressure. Dutch forward Cody Gakpo was central to their attacking efforts, hitting the woodwork an incredible three times in the match as United's defence, marshalled by the experienced Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt, stood firm. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens also produced several key saves to deny the hosts.
Gakpo Equalises, Maguire Responds
The second half saw Liverpool redouble their efforts, with manager Arne Slot making attacking substitutions to turn the tide. Their dominance finally paid off in the 78th minute when Cody Gakpo got the goal his persistence deserved. A low cross from substitute Federico Chiesa across the six-yard box was met by Gakpo, who slotted home from close range to level the score at 1-1 and send the Kop into a frenzy.
The momentum appeared to be entirely with the home side, but United showed a rare moment of steel just six minutes later. In the 84th minute, from a set-piece, Bruno Fernandes delivered a perfectly flighted cross to the far post where Harry Maguire outmuscled his marker and powered an accomplished header back across the goal and into the net, restoring United's lead at 2-1.
A Decade of Hurt Ended
Despite eight minutes of added time and a gilt-edged chance for Gakpo to immediately level with a header, Manchester United's players held firm, seeing out the tense final moments for a monumental three points.
The 2-1 result is United's first Premier League win at Anfield since 2016, ending a nine-year hoodoo that has defined the fixture for a generation of supporters. The victory lifts Manchester United to ninth in the table, providing a huge psychological boost for the squad and manager Amorim. Meanwhile, the defeat adds further pressure on Arne Slot, whose Liverpool side have now suffered a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions.