Alan Shearer sets major challenge for Manchester United players after Liverpool FC draw
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer has challenged Manchester United's players to maintain the level of the performance they produced in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield to "prove this was not a one-off".
United arrived on Merseyside having lost their last four matches across all competitions, meaning almost all of the pre-match conversation was about the margin of victory Liverpool would win by.
However, head coach Ruben Amorim got the reaction he was looking for, watching United serve up their best showing of his tenure thus far. After taking the lead through Lisandro Martinez, United looked as though they were going to be beaten when goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah swung the game in the home side's favour.
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Amad, however, had different ideas, connecting with Alejandro Garnacho's low cross to earn United a point they were more than worthy of. And in the eyes of Shearer, Amorim's players have now set themselves a standard that they must attempt to maintain.
"The game ended with both teams pouring forward, and they were going hell for leather trying to win it right up until the final whistle," said Shearer speaking to BBC Sport. "Before Harry Maguire's late miss, Liverpool had almost nicked it too but the very least that United deserved was a point. Everything about them was impressive, including their effort and attitude.
"Now, they have to back it up. While we already know Liverpool are the real deal and a disappointing day for them does not change that, the challenge for United is to prove this was not a one-off. There is no harder place to go in the Premier League this season than Anfield so this performance has shown what they can do, but every game from now on will be compared to it.
"It has set the standards that they have to meet in the next few weeks or months, and whether it is at Arsenal in the FA Cup next weekend or at home to bottom-of-the table Southampton a few days later, the level they reached here has to become the norm."
