Premier League: Streak broken! Manchester United shatter Liverpool with heart-stopping Anfield win

Liverpool faced their fourth consecutive defeat, a first in 11 years, as Manchester United secured a 2-1 victory at Anfield on Sunday. Harry Maguire scored the winning goal with a header in the 84th minute, giving United manager Ruben Amorim his first back-to-back Premier League wins.Cody Gakpo had equalised for Liverpool, cancelling out Bryan Mbeumo's early goal that came just 61 seconds into the match.Liverpool now trails Arsenal by four points at the top of the table. Manager Arne Slot continues to seek the right combination after spending £450 million on new players.United moved up to ninth place, now just two points behind Liverpool. This victory marks Amorim's most significant win in his nearly one-year tenure.Liverpool's previous dominance in this fixture was notable, having lost only one of their last 14 Premier League meetings. United hadn't won at Anfield since January 2016.Liverpool's current struggles follow a period of transition after rebuilding their title-winning squad. The team was also affected by the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in a July car accident.The match started poorly for Liverpool, who were already dealing with three consecutive losses under Slot.

Mbeumo scored the opening goal, getting past Virgil van Dijk and finishing from Amad Diallo's pass.Liverpool protested the goal, arguing that play should have stopped when Alexis MacAllister suffered a head injury from Van Dijk.Slot kept £100 million signing Florian Wirtz on the bench again, trying to balance defensive and attacking needs.Gakpo nearly scored when his shot hit the post from Mohamed Salah's pass, in Liverpool's best first-half move.United missed an opportunity to extend their lead when Bruno Fernandes hit the post from the edge of the area.Liverpool's record signing Alexander Isak almost scored his first Premier League goal, but Senne Lammens made a crucial save.Gakpo was unlucky as his deflected cross hit the post, and he later hit the woodwork again early in the second half.Slot introduced Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike after an hour, joining Salah, Gakpo, and Isak in attack.Salah, despite his scoring record in this fixture, missed a clear chance when he shot wide with only Lammens to beat.Liverpool finally scored when Federico Chiesa, who had just replaced Isak, provided a low cross for Gakpo to convert from close range.United quickly responded as Maguire headed in Fernandes's cross, exposing Liverpool's defensive weaknesses.Gakpo had a late chance to equalize but headed wide from Jeremie Frimpong's cross.The defeat ended Liverpool's year-long unbeaten league run at Anfield, damaging their hopes of winning a record 21st English top-flight title.