On January 6th at 1:00 AM Beijing time, a focus match in the 20th round of the Premier League saw Liverpool draw 2-2 with Manchester United at home. All four goals were scored in the second half, with a thrilling game process. Liverpool remained unbeaten in 24 consecutive matches, while Manchester United ended their four-game losing streak, both sides gaining something. On the latest leaderboard, Liverpool accumulated 46 points to continue leading the table, six points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with one less game played. Manchester United, with 23 points, ranked 13th, only seven points above the relegation zone.
After Manchester United managed a draw away against Liverpool, five incredible moments and two undeniable facts emerged.
Five incredible moments:
- Before the game, most opinions suggested that Manchester United would surely lose away to Liverpool due to the significant difference in form and strength between the two teams. However, Manchester United played an exhilarating match at Anfield, not only scoring first but also equalizing when trailing. It's no wonder many Red Devils fans believe that even if United lost, they would still applaud.
- The last time Manchester United scored at Liverpool's home was on December 16, 2018, when they lost 1-3. Since then, they had failed to score in consecutive away games for six years, finally breaking the goal drought.
- Despite Liverpool's inability to win, a draw was enough to extend their unbeaten record. Statistics show that Liverpool has achieved 20 wins and 4 draws in their last 24 games, a feat last accomplished in 1989. Additionally, Liverpool equaled the record of being unbeaten in nine consecutive home games against Manchester United, set between 1970-1979.
- This summer, Arnold's contract with Liverpool will expire, and he has recently been linked closely with Real Madrid.
However, Arnold's performance in this double red meeting was disastrous. He started and played for 84 minutes, was dribbled past twice, failed in all five duels, lost possession 25 times, and all six crosses failed, earning only a 6.7 rating. His performance was the worst among all players, even worse than De Ligt. - The 22-year-old Amad continued to shine, scoring the final goal to help Manchester United equalize 2-2.
According to statistics, Amad became the third Manchester United player after Rooney in the 2004-05 season and Van Persie in the 2012-13 season to score against both Manchester City and Liverpool away from home in the same Premier League season. In the previous match where Manchester United overturned a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City, Amad scored the decisive goal in the final moments.
Two undeniable facts:
- Lima scored first for Manchester United, helping the team avoid their first league four-game losing streak without scoring since 1907. Additionally, it helped coach Amorim stop the losing streak, having already lost four consecutive games in all competitions.
- De Ligt is indeed not up to the task. In this game, he was dribbled past by Gakpo, leading to a goal conceded, and later gave away a penalty for handball, resulting in Manchester United being quickly equalized. He received a post-match rating of 6.2, the lowest of the game. He really deserves his starting position in Manchester United, with his defensive performance far behind Lima and Maguire.
