Liverpool move six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, but will still feel this was a missed opportunity to inflict more pain on a United side sitting 13th in the Premier League, just two points off the relegation zone. The two most successful sides in English football could not have come into the game in more contrasting form.

However, United answered Solskjaer's calls to rise to the occasion. Liverpool were without Mohamed Salah through injury and the Egyptian's pace and trickery was badly missed. The visitors were able to welcome back goalkeeper Alisson Becker for the first time in two months after a calf injury, but the Brazilian was rarely tested as United were happy to sit back and counter-attack.

Solskjaer changed his formation to a 3-5-2 in an attempt to limit Liverpool's flying full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson and it was largely effective as the hosts restricted the league leaders to precious few chances. Liverpool's best opening before the break came when Sadio Mane finally found some space to counter-attack, but from his cut-back Roberto Firmino fired too close to David de Gea.

United had not scored in their two previous matches prior to the international break, but finally produced a moment of quality going forward to take the lead, even if fortune was also on their side for the goal to stand.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019