Man Utd stretch Liverpool losing streak to four games

Liverpool endured a fourth straight loss, the first such run in over a decade, after Manchester United notched a 2-1 triumph on Sunday, snapping their long drought of wins at Anfield after almost ten years.

An 84th minute header from Harry Maguire clinched consecutive Premier League victories for United under manager Ruben Amorim, marking a milestone in his stint.

With twelve minutes left, Cody Gakpo erased Bryan Mbeumo's early strike, which came after only 61 seconds.

This setback positions Liverpool four points behind Arsenal atop the standings, leaving Arne Slot grappling for the perfect mix despite investing close to £450 million ($604 million) on fresh signings during the summer window.

United narrow the gap to two points from their traditional foes, climbing to ninth place and alleviating scrutiny on Amorim following his most significant triumph in almost twelve months at the helm.

Prior to this, Liverpool had dropped just one of the last 14 league clashes between the teams, and United's previous Anfield success dated back to January 2016, early in Jurgen Klopp's era.

That said, the Merseysiders face upheaval post their squad overhaul from the title winning group of last term, compounded by the heartbreaking death of Diogo Jota in a July car crash.

Following three losses on the trot, the first under Slot, Liverpool could scarcely have foreseen a grimmer opening.

Mbeumo breezed by Virgil van Dijk before slotting home from Amad Diallo's assist against Giorgi Mamardashvili, mere moments into the action.

The hosts and crowd erupted in anger as officials failed to halt play during the buildup, after Alexis MacAllister suffered a head knock from his own skipper Van Dijk.

Slot kept his £100 million acquisition Florian Wirtz sidelined for another match, fruitlessly seeking equilibrium between backline solidity and forward thrust.

Gakpo missed a golden opportunity to equalise for the title holders, striking the upright with a pass from Mohamed Salah in Liverpool's sole fluid sequence before the break.

Still, United squandered chances to extend their advantage by interval.

Bruno Fernandes fluffed an open shot from the box's edge, clipping the post's outer side while free of markers.

Oppositely, Senne Lammens enjoyed a quiet opening period but shone with a key stop to thwart Alexander Isak's debut league goal for Liverpool, after his £125 million record British move.

Gakpo's deflected delivery then rebounded off the frame, and the forward clattered the woodwork once more shortly after restart.

Slot summoned his hefty £200 million frontline investments from the reserves, bringing on Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike around the hour to bolster a front five alongside Salah, Gakpo, and Isak.

Salah leads all scorers in this rivalry, yet his dip in sharpness was evident as he skied a shot wide from the back post with only Lammens left to beat.

Liverpool's array of offensive firepower at last breached the defence when Federico Chiesa, subbed in for Isak just before, whipped in a low ball that Gakpo tapped home from close quarters.

Nevertheless, vulnerabilities at the rear ensured the tie endured just six minutes, with Maguire unchallenged to nod in Fernandes' arcing delivery.

Gakpo might have salvaged a draw, nodding astray from Jeremie Frimpong's tempting cross into an empty net.

Ultimately, Liverpool suffered their initial home league reversal in more than a year, dealing another setback to ambitions of overtaking United for a landmark 21st English elite division crown.