Winners and losers - Liverpool v Man Utd

WINNERS

Ander Herrera

The Spanish midfielder has found a place in Manchester United’s lineup this season, becoming centre to the way they play under Jose Mourinho. His form saw him called into the Spain squad for the first time last week and he underlined his quality with this performance at Anfield.

Hassling and harrying Liverpool in possession from the very start, Herrera brought the energy Man Utd needed in the centre of the pitch against the hosts’ Gegenpressing. Paul Pogba was expected to be the headline act, but it was the Spaniard alongside him who made the biggest impact.

Manchester City

Liverpool could have gone top of the Premier League with a win over Man Utd, making the most of Man City’s slip-up against Everton at the weekend. Jurgen Klopp’s side have looked like title challengers early on this season, but they missed the chance to leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s men into first place.

This Man Utd team were there for the taking, with Mourinho setting up his team to be solid at the back but not especially adventurous going forward. Liverpool turned in a turgid performance for the most part as well, but given their recent form this was a missed opportunity.

Adam Lallana

The 28-year-old surely would have started had it not been for injury, but the way in which Adam Lallana changed the game when he came off the bench for the final half hour underlined just how important he has become to Klopp’s Liverpool side.

The Reds are a much more creative and nimble side around the edge of the box with Lallana involved, with the hosts creating more opportunities in the 30 minutes he was on the pitch than the previous 60 minutes he was sat on the bench.

Anyone who was stuck in traffic on the way home from work

It’s long been debated whether Premier League games should be played on Monday nights, with so many fans unable to make it after work on a weekday, but anyone who missed this game can take comfort from the fact they missed nothing at all.

Some tried to spin it as a tactical battle or a war of attrition, but in truth it was simply a dismal game of football. Neither side deserved to win, offering an indictment on the quality of the contest rather than illustrating how well-matched they were. Can the Premier League deduct points for a performance? Because if they can both Liverpool and United should be docked.

Jose Mourinho

The Manchester United boss will come in for criticism on the back of this performance, with his team essentially playing for a point from the very first whistle. But if indeed the objective was to get a result at the home of their greatest rivals, Mourinho succeeded.

This is the deal United made when they appointed the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager in the summer. They were all too aware of the kind of football Mourinho would impose, but after three dismal years the Old Trafford club prioritised results. They got that at Anfield. Now they must consider whether it was worth it.

LOSERS

The Anfield camera angle

The opening of the glittering new Main Stand at Anfield has surely received more fanfare than any other stand in Premier League history. Indeed, increased ticket sales will help Liverpool compete at a higher level alongside the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd and Manchester City, improving the match day experience for home fans. It has done little for the experience of those watching from home, though.

The camera angle at Anfield has long been a point of contention, but even more so now that the new Main Stand has been built. They might as well film the near touchline with a drone, such is the vertical angle of the camera.

Daniel Sturridge

615 minutes - that’s how long Daniel Sturridge has now gone without scoring in the Premier League. For both club and country, the striker looks out of sorts at the moment, and so it was somewhat surprising that Jurgen Klopp opted to go with him from the start against Man Utd.

He did nothing to vindicate his selection, though, Sturridge failed to notch a single shot in his hour on the pitch, with Liverpool improving immeasurably when he was hooked for Adam Lallana. That was the great indictment of his display.

United’s attacking identity

A certain quality is expected of Manchester United, an inherently attacking outfit, but this team completely abandoned those principles to play for a point, or at the very least make themselves difficult to break down. Sir Alex Ferguson must have spent the majority of the match shuddering as he watched from the Anfield director’s box.

Mourinho hinted upon his appointment at United that he would be a different kind of manager, but on this basis he hasn’t changed at all. This was a quintessential Mourinho performance and United fans must ask themselves what is more important - performances or results?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Chances were at a premium for both teams, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic spurned the only golden opportunity of the night. It just so happened to be the only time Paul Pogba produced anything near his best, whipping a wicked cross in for his Swedish teammate. With the goal gaping Ibrahimovic somehow managed to head right across the face of goal, not even bothering the shaky Loris Karius.

Ibrahimovic struggled throughout, toiling to hold up the ball whenever he received it. Although that might have been down to the tactics United played with, leaving the 35-year-old isolated up front for large spells. Whatever the reason, this match won’t make Ibrahimovic’s career highlight reel.

Anthony Taylor

Referees of this sort of match always come under scrutiny, but even by such a standard Anthony Taylor was placed under a microscope in the build-up to Liverpool’s home clash against United. It might have contributed to his inconsistent, and at times infuriating, performance.

Taylor refused to dip into his pocket for much of the first half, passing over several challenges deserving of a booking before eventually flashing a yellow card at Eric Bailly for a tackle of not much substance. It wasn’t that Taylor favoured one team or the other, but there was no apparent consistency to his decision-making.