Liverpool vs Manchester United LIVE

Liverpool missed the chance to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after being held to a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United. After concerns over fan safety this morning following snowfall across Merseyside, the game was given the go-ahead but Arne Slot's side could not take advantage of results going their way on Saturday.

Lisandro Martinez put the visitors ahead with a powerful effort early in the second half. Though, the lead didn’t last long as Cody Gakpo produced a superb finish to equalise for the hosts and then Mohamed Salah completed the turnaround as his penalty - awarded after VAR intervened and judged Matthijs De Ligt to have handled in the area - beat Andre Onana for power.

Yet there was to be a late sting in the tale. Amad Diallo, who netted the winner in last month’s Manchester derby, equalised for United with a composed finish from close range after good wing play from substitute Alejandro Garnacho. Both sides had chances to win it but had to settle for a share of the points in this pulsating clash.

Liverpool vs Manchester United latest news

• GOAL! Amad stuns Anfield with equaliser

• GOAL! Salah converts penalty

• LIVERPOOL PENALTY

• GOAL! Gakpo with the instant response

• GOAL! Martinez puts visitors ahead

Carragher reaction

18:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Jamie Carragher has delivered his reaction to Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

“It will feel like an opportunity lost for Liverpool,” he said on Sky Sports. “They will have seen Arsenal's result last night and expected to come into this game and win.

“There was too much of a feeling coming into the game that Liverpool would whack Manchester United aside. People were talking about how many goals they were going to score. But it wasn't to be.”

More from Bruno Fernandes

18:43 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

"Obviously we've been criticised, and fairly, because the position in the table says it all. We've lost too many points. Even today, we can't be happy with the draw, because we need points more than they need.

“It's a really good result and a fair result, both teams played good football. I'm pretty upset because we can show this against Liverpool at Anfield, first in the league, the outstanding team in the Premier League this season, why can't we do this every week?"

Bruno Fernandes

18:41 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Bruno Fernandes is first in and says it was a fair result even though he felt Man United needed the points more than Liverpool.

FT: Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:27 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

What. A. Game

That’s it at Anfield, the points are shared but not sure how as Man United missed a great chance right at the death.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:26 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

90+6 min: OH MY WORD

Harry Maguire had the chance to win the game for man United but he balloons the ball over the bar.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:20 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

90 min: CHANCES

Through the crowd, Virgil van Dijk gets his head on the ball but his effort is straight at Onana.

At the other end, some desperate defending from Liverpool keeps them on level terms.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:19 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

89 min: Two big saves from Andre Onana to deny Jota and Bradley.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:18 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

88 min: Alisson has to smother the ball behind for a corner after almost being caught out by Bruno Fernandes.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

85 min: Double Liverpool sub as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cody Gakpo are replaced by Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott.

Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund makes way for Joshua Zirkzee.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

18:12 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

82 min: Yellow card for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

De Ligt is replaced by Leny Yoro.

GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United | Amad Diallo '79

18:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

79 min: UNITED ARE LEVEL

Alejandro Garnacho pulls the ball back for Amad Diallo who finds the back of the net and the visitors are all square.

Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

18:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

76 min: Naughty from Darwin Nunez as he goes straight into De Ligt.

He will be suspended for Liverpool’s next Premier League game against Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

18:04 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

74 min: Mohamed Salah goes close with a free-kick but the effort clears the crossbar.

Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

18:00 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

71 min: Man United change.

Alejandro Garnacho replaces Kobbie Mainoo.

GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United | Mohamed Salah '69

17:59 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

69 min: LIVERPOOL AHEAD

Mohamed Salah makes no mistake from the spot to put Liverpool ahead.

Andre Onana guessed correctly, but was beaten for sheer power.

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

17:57 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

67 min: LIVERPOOL HAVE A PENALTY

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

17:56 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

66 min: Liverpool players are demanding a penalty for a De Ligt handball but nothing is given.

VAR have caused for the game to be paused and this will be checked.

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

17:53 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

63 min: Short corner from Man United is worked into the box, Harry Maguire appeals for penalty but nothing is given.

De Ligt then earns himself a yellow card for halting a Liverpool counter-attack.

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

17:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

60 min: Double change for Liverpool as Luis Diaz and Curtis Jones are replaced by Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.

GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United | Cody Gakpo '58

17:49 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

58 min: Instant response from Liverpool!

Sublime play from Cody Gakpo as he cuts inside as finishes superbly.

It survives a VAR check and the hosts are level.

Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United

17:46 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

57 min: Liverpool have not got going in this second half, summed up by that attempted counter-attack which ends after an overhit pass by Luis Diaz to Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United

17:44 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

54 min: That is Man United’s first goal at Anfield since 2018 and what a strike it was from Lisandro Martinez. Great pass from Bruno Fernandes in the build up.

Amad Diallo has been shown a yellow card.

GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United | Lisandro Martinez '51

17:41 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

51 min: MAN UNITED LEAD

Thunderous effort from Lisandro Martinez as he beats Alisson for sheer power. That lead is no more than Man United deserve.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

50 min: Two crazy moments in quick succession, firstly Amad Diallo slips over at a crucial time before an uncharacteristic heavy first touch from Virgil van Dijk sees the ball run out of play.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:38 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

48 min: Diogo Dalot finds himself the most advanced Man United player but the door is shut on him by Virgil van Dijk who makes a terrific block tackle.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:37 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

47 min: Alexis Mac Allister swings in a corner and it’s uncomfortable for Andre Onana as he punches the ball down and is fortunate Liverpool can’t make the most of it.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:36 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

46 min: Bit of a warning for Manchester United as Liverpool have performed better in the second half of games in the Premier League this season.

Will that trend continue?

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:34 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Back underway at Anfield.

No changes from either side.

Keane blasts Alexander-Arnold performance

17:26 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Safe to say Roy Keane hasn’t been impressed with Trent Alexander-Arnold so far...

“Trent’s defending today, my goodness it’s like schoolboy stuff. There’s talk of him going to Real Madrid but the way he’s defending he’s going to Tranmere Rovers.”

HT: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Half-time at Anfield and Manchester United will be very happy with their first-half display. They’ve arguably had the better of the chances and should be ahead through Rasmus Hojlund.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:16 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

45 min: Two minutes of stoppage time to be played.

Luis Diaz looks to tip-toe his way into the area but is crowded out and Ryan Gravenberch sees his effort blocked.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:12 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

41 min: Huge chance for Man United as Rasmus Hojlund is put clean through on goal but Alisson makes a superb save.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:11 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

40 min: Half chance for United as Dalot sneaks in at the back post to keep in Ugarte’s cross but nothing comes of it.

Moments later Bruno Fernandes is played through but his intended pass for Amad Diallo is cut out.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:06 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

35 min: Liverpool beginning to turn the screw as they’re being urged on by their supporters but Man United are defending well.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

17:04 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

33 min: Two really forceful tackles from De Ligt and Harry Maguire on Liverpool players.

That has fired up the Anfield crowd!

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:59 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

29 min: Lovely play from Ryan Gravenberch, from the way he received the ball and turned away from Kobbie Mainoo in the middle of the park.

He shoots from range but can’t steer his effort on target.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:54 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

24 min: Man United are growing into this game, they force another corner.

This one is taken by Bruno Fernandes and requires some urgent defending by Ryan Gravenberch to help Liverpool survive.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:53 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

22 min: First yellow card of the game goes to Diogo Dalot after holding back Mohamed Salah.

The Man United left-wing back is under serious pressure now and he was sent-off in this fixture last season.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

19 min: WOW!

Manchester United get in behind Liverpool, Dalot looks to pick out Amad Diallo but the youngster gets his header all wrong.

Kobbie Mainoo then sees his effort deflected for a corner as Amad requires treatment.

That’s the best chance of the game so far.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:46 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

15 min: Superb football from Liverpool as Mohamed Salah picks out Alexis Mac Allister’s run into the box, but the Argentine’s effort is well saved by Andre Onana.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:44 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

13 min: Liverpool are starting to find their groove.

Lovely pass from Ryan Gravenberch into Cody Gakpo but he flicks his effort just wide of the far post.

Huge chance!

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:43 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

12 min: Manuel Ugarte comes across and takes out Cody Gakpo. No yellow card for the Man United midfielder though.

Liverpool then get some space on the right, poor clearance falls to Alexis Mac Allister whose effort is blocked and the rebound falls to Luis Diaz who slices an effort wide.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

10 min: It hasn’t been the start many expected.

Manchester United have done well to get good possession so far with Mohamed Salah being kept relatively quiet.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:37 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

7 min: Positive goalkeeping from Andre Onana as he commands his box to punch the ball clear following a Liverpool corner.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:34 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

3 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold gets caught on the ball by a returning Kobbie Mainoo who gets the visitors up the field.

Diogo Dalot initially does well in bursting past the Liverpool right-back, but Alexander-Arnold defends the situation.

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

16:32 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

1 min: Kobbie Mainoo flies into a tackle but his left in a heap on the floor after being caught by Ryan Gravenberch’s trailing leg.

The Man United youngster receives treatment and is fine to carry on.

KICK-OFF!

16:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

We are underway in this Premier League clash.

Here we go!

16:26 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Players have emerged from the tunnel area and out onto the pitch.

Time for the player handshakes and then kick-off.

Pre-match thoughts from Arne Slot

16:20 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

The Liverpool boss has been speaking ahead of kick-off, making it clear that his side must not underestimate Manchester United despite their poor form.

"Every game we play in the Premier League is a big test. Every team has good players,” he told Sky Sports. “Not only because of the rivalry, but because of quality players, every game is hard and challenging.

"Man United have shown in the past when things go against them they show up with a strong performance, they have done that this season.

“Every time when you least expect it, they show up, and that's because when you have quality players they set themselves to do something."

How it stands...

16:18 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Liverpool know victory this afternoon will see them open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Manchester United, meanwhile, start the day as low as 14th but can climb a couple of places with victory at Anfield.

Not long now!

16:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Less than 20 minutes to go until kick-off at Anfield!

Liverpool suspension risks

16:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate are all on four yellow cards in the Premier League.

So they are suspension risks for Liverpool this afternoon.

Therefore, if any are booked against Man United then a one-match suspension will be served against Nottingham Forest in the Reds' next Premier League game.

Liverpool are a game behind the majority of the teams in the division, so this game is their 19th in the Premier League this season which is the cut-off point for suspensions.

Salah eyeing Henry record

16:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Every game it appears there's a record for Mohamed Salah to match or break.

If he scores against Manchester United, he will move level with Thierry Henry on the all-time Premier League scorer list with 175 goals.

Lisandro Martinez speaks

16:00 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

The Man United defender has been speaking ahead of kick-off, explaining how the side’s confidence has been affected due to recent results.

In the building!

15:55 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

The visitors have arrived at Anfield.

The Liverpool dressing room

15:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Behind the scenes at Anfield as the Liverpool dressing room is prepared ahead of kick-off.

Garnacho deletes X account...

15:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Alejandro Garnacho is among the Manchester United substitutes this afternoon.

Though, it his actions off the pitch that has caught the attention of some supporters.

It would appear the winger has deleted his X account...

Attack vs defence

15:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Liverpool have been free-scoring of late, netting 14 goals in their last three games across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have only kept one clean sheet under Ruben Amorim and have looked rather leaky defensively of late, conceding at least two goals in their last four outings.

Liverpool vs Manchester United Head to head (h2h) history and results

15:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Liverpool wins: 82

Draws: 70

Man Utd wins: 91

Manchester United haven’t scored at Anfield since December 2018 and you get the feeling that has to change this afternoon if they’re to leave with any points.

15:26 , Alex Young

Konate is fit to start, then, in a big boost for Liverpool. However, Szoboszlai misses out through illness. The lesser-spotted Chiesa is on the bench.

Fernandes and Ugarte are back for Manchester United after suspension. It's a slow-looking defence with Yoro on the bench. Rashford a no-show again.

Team news in full

15:20 , Alex Young

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Jones, Diaz, Gakpo

Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Quansah, Bradley

Manchester United XI: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Ugarte, Fernandes, Hojlund, Amad

Subs: Bayindir, Malacia, Yoro, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Antony, Garnacho, Zirkzee

Manchester United XI

15:16 , Alex Young

...and here are the visitors!

Liverpool XI

15:15 , Alex Young

Konate starts, as expected.

15:11 , Alex Young

Rashford is not in the squad.

15:10 , Alex Young

No word on Manchester United team yet but suggests Amad is playing at wing-back.

15:00 , Alex Young

It sounds like Konate has proven his fitness enough to start today.

Confirmed teams are to come in 15 minutes.

Amorim: United players are afraid

14:52 , Alex Young

Ruben Amorim has admitted that his Manchester United side are “anxious and sometimes afraid” as they prepare for today’s showdown against Liverpool.

Speaking ahead of the game, Amorim delivered a refreshingly honest verdict of Man United’s fortunes in recent weeks as he made a rather stunning admission whilsy also revealing his surprise at hearing supporters chant his name during such a difficult period.

“They are anxious and sometimes afraid on the pitch,” he said. “We have to cope with that. We need the leaders to step up and to help the other guys - and I'm the most responsible person here to improve the performances.

“You can see the players are trying. Sometimes they are too anxious and too afraid to play football because this is a difficult moment.

“For two days we have just been doing the basics, focusing on our idea to play football, and doing our thing.

“The supporters are tired of this moment so it is strange to hear them chanting my name. I'm giving everything to help the club. I know it is hard to understand right now but we are going to succeed.”

Predicted lineups

14:45 , Alex Young

We’ll have confirmed teams in half an hour. Here’s how we’re predicting they will look.

Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz

Man Utd predicted XI: Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro; Mazaroui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Amad, Hojlund, Fernandes

Arne Slot programme notes

14:38 , Alex Young

"I was only at Liverpool for the second half of 2024 but I already know what a wonderful club this is with the fans who gave us incredible backing wherever we play so I would like to this opportunity to thank you for that.

“We have done a lot of travelling of late to Southampton, to Tottenham and to West Ham and a constant feature has been the noise from the away end. Again, this is not something that any of us take for granted which is why I want to bring extra attention to it.

"We need a similar backing today of course. The rivalry between Liverpool and United is one that people all around the world are aware of and the main reasons for that are the history and the success of the two clubs involved and the quality of the contests that take place between them.

"The temptation for some will be to be drawn to the league table and to draw conclusions about what could happen today based solely on that. For me, this could only ever be a mistake. Even with my extremely limited knowledge of this fixture as a participant, I know full well that this is a game which comes down to performance on the day and not points on the board beforehand."

14:30 , Alex Young

It’s still looking very soggy and, erm, slushy outside Anfield. No more snow is falling, at least, but certainly not the easiest conditions for thousands to walk in.

Kick-off in two hours.

Keane: Liverpool will hammer Man United

14:24 , Alex Young

Roy Keane is equally pessimistic ahead of today’s game. He is predicting “a hammering”.

Asked if Manchester United need to change their approach today, Keane said: "They have to.

"If they keep doing what they've been doing the last month or two, then Liverpool will beat them easily. I know people say well, you never know in football' and 'you know,the history of the fixture' ... but if they're doing what they've been doing, then they're gonna get ripped apart.

"The worry to me was all talk about United players, particularly midfielders. We talk about players, you know, that can't run. I worry about sometimes the players who don't want to run. You gotta run in this game.

"And the the strength of Liverpool, the way they mix their game up in terms of playing between the lines and actually get getting teams turned. The way Liverpool attack teams is absolutely fantastic. And if Liverpool are at their best, they will hammer United. They will hammer them."

Snow, snow go away

14:17 , Alex Young

Still plenty of work being done to make the stadium, and surrounding areas, safe for players and fans alike. Person and animal helping out.

Neville: Man United confidence shot to pieces

14:10 , Alex Young

Gary Neville appears to agree with our prediction. He's been talking on Sky Sports with Roy Keane about today's game ahead of kick-off.

He said: "There's no doubt they are shot to pieces in terms of confidence. They are vulnerable but also a point that has just been made by Roy is that they are lacking in quality.

"Both are a massive problem, if you have got high-quality players that lack confidence you hope that that confidence can return, but if you have got low quality players that are lacking in confidence, even when that confidence returns I doubt these players are going to be good enough.

"But he's got to try and get something out of them today, there's no doubt coming here is...no Man United team has won here for eight years. Man United do have a challenging record here, it's the most difficult place to come.

"They have got to be sensible in this match in the early parts of the game, try and build into the game step-by-step but there will be far and a bit of anxiety."

Score prediction

14:03 , Alex Young

Now we know that the game is going ahead, how do we see it play out?

United will surely show some sort of reaction to Monday’s defeat but even with that, it would be hard to see them getting from Anfield.

Liverpool are the best team in the land, and by some distance, and United are among the weakest teams in the division despite Ruben Amorim’s best efforts.

Liverpool to win, 3-0.

Game on!

13:56 , Alex Young

For much of this morning, the game was firmly in doubt.

Snow fell overnight and Sunday morning across Merseyside and the north west, prompting Liverpool City Council's Safety Advisory Group to assess whether fans could safely travel to the game.

A decision was delayed until midday, in the hope that weather conditions will ease, and now it has been confirmed that the fixture - one of the biggest in English football - will kick-off as scheduled at 4.30pm.

A statement from Liverpool read: “Today’s fixture against Manchester United will go ahead as planned. Two safety meetings were held earlier to assess the weather and travel conditions.

“We thank everyone involved in helping us to get this game on today. If you’re travelling to Anfield then please take extra care. We look forward to seeing you there.”

Early Man Utd team news

13:49 , Alex Young

Manchester United will today welcome back two key players for a daunting trip to Liverpool, but Marcus Rashford is set to miss out.

They will be boosted by the returns of Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte after they both sat out the Newcastle defeat due to suspension.

Rashford returned to the squad for the Newcastle game but did not feature and is likely to miss out once again, though this time due to illness.

"At the moment, he’s ill, he’s not training so we'll see in the future but he's like a normal player, then I make a selection so it's the same,” Amorim said on Friday.

"I think he's going to be out this week, he's not training. We'll see but I think this week he's out."

Kobbie Mainoo will surely start in midfield after coming on during the first-half of the Newcastle game for Joshua Zirkzee, who was sarcastically cheered off at Old Trafford.

Casemiro and Christian Eriksen looked all at sea in central midfield, so Ugarte will surely come in alongside the England international.

Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw are all thought to be injured.

Early Liverpool team news

13:42 , Alex Young

Liverpool have a decision to make in defence for their first game of 2025.

Joe Gomez limped off with a hamstring injury and won’t feature here.

Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley have both returned to training in a major boost for Liverpool, albeit it would be a surprise to see them start against United.

Jarell Quansah is most likely to partner Virgil van Dijk.

Federico Chiesa continues to build up his fitness.

How to watch Liverpool vs Manchester United

13:34 , Alex Young

TV channel: The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.

Coverage starts at 4pm GMT ahead of a 4.30pm kick-off.

Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Sky Go app.

Welcome

13:29 , Alex Young

Good afternoon and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.

This game almost did not go ahead due to heavy snowfall overnight and into the morning, but plenty of hard work has gone into the game being held.

And United may wish it hadn’t. They lost five of six in the league, including miserable defeats to Wolves and Newcastle, while Liverpool have built up a healthy lead at the top of the table.

Kick-off in a cold, yet no longer snowy, Anfield is at 4.30pm. Stick with us.