Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United: 10-man visitors grab a point as Erik ten Hag’s side survive Anfield trip after last season’s humiliation while hosts miss chance to go top of the Premier League

Manchester United and fortitude have become strangers in recent years, but on Sunday night at Anfield, overwhelmed by Liverpool's rolling red tide, their defense staged a heroic show of defiance to keep Jurgen Klopp's team at bay and cloud expectations that they are once again humiliated by their rivals.

Last season, Erik ten Hag's side were victims of an embarrassing 7-0 draw and some had predicted a repeat. It didn't happen. Instead, after the feast came the famine.

And credit for that went particularly to United's central defensive partnership of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane, left-back Luke Shaw and stand-in skipper Scott McTominay.

Evans and Varane may seem like an odd couple, but they combined fantastically last night. United have become known as a fickle, complacent, overrated collection of spoiled superstars, but they were the opposite of that as they stubbornly refused to let Liverpool claim the win that would have taken them back to the top of the table.

They offered very little prospect – Rasmus Hojlund touched the ball four times in the first half – and so there is a limit to the praise they deserve. They have become an average party. But at least here they stood up for something.

At least they stood up for their increasingly beleaguered manager. Many began to doubt whether they had such a performance in them.

For Liverpool, the match was pure frustration for 90 minutes. They threw everything they could at United and Trent Alexander-Arnold was by far the best home player on the pitch, constantly searching and pressing and finding searching passes. But they missed an edge.

Liverpool looked like a very good side, somewhat flattered by starting the day at the top of the Premier League. Klopp has done a fantastic job making the transition so seamless, but it is still a new team finding a new rhythm and getting to know each other. They didn't really have the subtlety and understanding to destroy United.

They had gone into the match in third place after previous wins for Arsenal and Aston Villa had knocked them off the top of the table. They finished second and moved above Villa on goal difference. Many still see Arsenal and Manchester City as the main contenders for the title.

Before the match, it seemed a good symbol of the malaise gripping United that they were forced to start the match without captain Bruno Fernandes, as he had neither the discipline nor the sense of duty to avoid making a mistake late in the game against Bournemouth received a yellow card. that United had already lost and were therefore suspended for this match.

Fernandes didn't have the sense to realize that this match means more and that it especially meant more after United's embarrassing capitulation here and the fact that he, like most of his teammates that day, went missing when his club and his manager needed him most. stand up.

His absence had two positive consequences. It meant that the armband went to McTominay, who has consistently played above and beyond this season despite the setbacks, and that Ten Hag could give Kobbie Mainoo another chance to start. Sometimes it feels hard to see a bright future for United, but if there is one, Mainoo will be part of it.

Liverpool started as if to ensure United's revival was a long time coming. It started off as a whirlwind. Roared on by the Kop, they forced three corners in the first four minutes in front of the large bank of their supporters.

United looked overwhelmed. Better teams than United would have been put off by the wall of noise coming their way. Sofyan Amrabat, who still lacks the pace of English football, kicked off the line after a minute, Darwin Nunez pounced on a smart lob from Mohamed Salah. United desperately tried to gain a foothold in the match.

United barely weathered the early storm, but under pressure from Liverpool they continued to lose possession and get themselves into trouble again. When Andre Onana dropped a catch under pressure, the ball fell to Salah six yards out, but the goalkeeper made up for his mistake by deflecting Salah's shot wide.

Nunez was shown a yellow card for a spine-tingling body check on Jonny Evans and Mainoo was booked for a late tackle on Wataru Endo before Virgil van Dijk's header from a corner was acrobatically turned over the crossbar by Onana. Liverpool were still on top but couldn't find the final pass.

Liverpool started the second half much as they had started the first, but ten minutes later they were given a warning of what could yet happen if they did not turn their dominance into goals when United hit them on half-time.

The ball was worked to Mainoo, who superbly switched the ball to Alejandro Garnacho and Garnacho cleared his way for Alexander-Arnold. Garnacho tried to curl a right-foot shot around Alisson, but before he could make contact, Alexander-Arnold made a fine recovery tackle and crossed the ball back to Alisson.

Liverpool increasingly looked to Alexander-Arnold to make something happen and he almost broke the deadlock midway through the half. Salah held the ball up and saw Alexander-Arnold race forward towards the edge of the penalty area. He put the ball in his path and Alexander-Arnold curled it agonizingly wide.

United conjured another rare foray forward when McTominay played Hojlund behind the home defence, but the Denmark striker hit his shot too close to Alisson, who blocked it with his chest and ran the ball to safety.

Liverpool redoubled their efforts. Nunez burst into the penalty area and when the ball fell to Luis Diaz it took the combined efforts of Onana and Evans to keep the ball out. A minute later, Ibrahima Konate turned beautifully in the box, but his shot flew straight into the arms of Onana.

Five minutes before the end, Liverpool thought they had a penalty. Kostas Tsimikas curled a cross into the penalty area at great speed and the ball bounced onto the turf and appeared to hit Shaw on the arm. The VAR checked the incident and Michael Oliver, who had played an excellent match, allowed play to continue.

Liverpool had one last chance deep into extra time when substitute Cody Gakpo rose and met Alexander-Arnold's free-kick ten yards out, but headed the ball high over the crossbar.

Diogo Dalot was sent off in the final seconds for an absurd overreaction to a throw-in that went against him. His anger was so unrestrained that he received two yellow cards within a few seconds. Frustration dominated this match from start to finish.