Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim felt Joshua Zirkzee made the "perfect decision" to square the ball to Harry Maguire for a matchwinning chance at Liverpool.

Substitute Zirkzee was played into the right-hand channel in the 97th minute and passed the ball to Maguire, who lifted the ball over the crossbar with the goal gaping at 2-2.

Zirkzee, serenaded by the United supporters for the first time at Anfield six days after he was goaded by thousands at Old Trafford following his substitution against Newcastle, had a clear option to shoot but opted to play the ball to the unmarked Maguire to his left.

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"For me, I think it was the perfect decision," Amorim opined. "He can shoot but he put the ball in the centre. One guy is running back, the ball was really slow for Harry to score but sometimes you can’t. Josh made a good decision, in my opinion."

Manuel Ugarte has stood out since Amorim was appointed two months ago and the Uruguayan's growing reputation continued in a gutsy performance at Anfield.

Ugarte played under Amorim for two years at Sporting but the United head coach was reluctant to dwell on an individual performer. "I don’t want to talk about just Ugarte, he’s the only guy I know really really well.

"Everybody, even in the bench. Today they faced the competition in a different way. It’s so simple but so difficult to explain here so it’s so clear for everybody."

Amorim was disinterested in the topic of Liverpool's penalty award. Alexis Mac Allister nodded the ball against Matthijs de Ligt's outstretched arm but referee Michael Oliver did not immediately award a penalty.

Following guidance from the VAR, Oliver reviewed the handball on the pitchside monitor and awarded Liverpool a spotkick that Mohamed Salah converted in the 70th minute.

"I didn’t see the image," Amorim admitted. "It seems like someone touched the ball before touching the hand. Was a shame because was really hard in the moment, when you touch the ball you change direction of the ball.

"Was really hard for us but when we were losing 2-1 we felt we could draw and in the end maybe win the game."