17 Jan 2016: Liverpool 0 United 1
The only Manchester United victory of the past decade came when Marouane Fellaini’s header powered Juan Mata’s cross on to the bar and Wayne Rooney hooked the rebound in on 78 minutes to give the visiting Evertonian a particular thrill. Victory lifted Louis van Gaal’s team to fifth, and sank Jürgen Klopp’s team to ninth. Yet by the summer the Dutchman was sacked despite May’s FA Cup final triumph after United finished fifth, missing out on fourth on goal difference. In June Klopp, who guided Liverpool to eighth in his first part season in charge, signed a new six-year deal. “His leadership will be critical to everything we hope to achieve,” said the club.
14 Oct 2016: Liverpool 0 United 0
José Mourinho, Van Gaal’s successor, administered a classic smothering job as Ander Herrera stymied the threat of Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, and David de Gea made two fine second-half stops from Emre Can and Coutinho. Mourinho oversaw a 35% possession count – United’s lowest since records began – and said: “That was probably the quietest Anfield I had.” Klopp said: “No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better.” Liverpool finished the season fourth, United sixth.
14 Oct 2017: Liverpool 0 United 0
The De Gea show as Liverpool rained 19 unsuccessful shots down on the unmoved No 1’s goal – his best save with his left foot at close range from Joël Matip. After being held for a second year in a row before their own fans, Klopp eschewed any niceties. “I’m sure if we played like this, you could not do this at Liverpool. Obviously for United it is OK. I think United came here for the point and they got it. We wanted three points and didn’t get it.” United’s second-place finish of 81 points was hailed by Mourinho as one his finest achievements. Liverpool ended up fourth.
16 Dec 2018: Liverpool 3 United 1
The defeat that precipitated Mourinho’s axing came via Xherdan Shaqiri, who came on in the 70th minute at 1-1 (after Jesse Lingard equalised Sadio Mané’s opener). Ten minutes later, he had put Liverpool 3-1 up with a double before a jubilant Anfield. A delighted Klopp said: “Over the moon about the performance. The way the boys played tonight was outstanding.” Mourinho said: “The strongest team won, but they won in the period when they were not stronger than us.” After 17 games United were down in sixth with 26 points, 19 behind Liverpool. Two days later Mourinho was sacked and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who guided United to sixth, Liverpool finishing second despite collecting 97 points, with Manchester City on 98.
19 Jan 2020: Liverpool 2 United 0
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were Liverpool’s scorers but the star was the team in a victory that pulled Klopp’s side 26 points ahead of City on the way to ending a 30-year title drought. In Solskjær’s first visit to Anfield in the United dugout, his XI included Harry Maguire, whose £80m price was a world record for a defender, plus Daniel James, Andreas Pereira and Brandon Williams. Klopp’s verdict: “If our fans were not in a good mood now that would be really strange.” United were 30 points behind their hosts, and would end the Covid-interrupted season in third.
17 Jan 2021: Liverpool 0 United 0
A heady day for United as Solskjær’s unit arrived as Premier League leaders on 36 points, one ahead of Leicester, and three ahead of their hosts. Yet the fixture ended in a third goalless draw since 2016. Klopp fielded the midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho at centre-back because of injuries and Alisson was Liverpool’s star man, repelling Bruno Fernandes and a late Paul Pogba effort. Klopp said: “The performance was good enough to win it but to win a game you have to score goals.” Solskjær tried to be positive. “I’m disappointed but, still, a point is OK if you win the next one,” he said. They did, at Fulham 2-1, but then lost 2-1 at home to lowly Sheffield United and would finish second, 12 points behind City, although five better than third-placed Liverpool.
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19 April 2022: Liverpool 4 United 0
This humiliation for Ralf Rangnick’s men in the Anfield bear pit followed October’s 5-0 drubbing at Old Trafford a month before Solskjær was culled. For Erik ten Hag, officially confirmed as the Norwegian’s successor three days later, here was proof of the caretaker manager’s declaration that United required “an operation of the open heart”. Cristiano Ronaldo was absent because of the death of his newborn son, and Phil Jones was handed only a second Premier League start in two years. Liverpool’s scorers were Luis Díaz, Salah (two) and Mané. United finished the season sixth on 58 points, Liverpool second on 92, again one behind City.
5 March 2023: Liverpool 7 United 0
Ten Hag’s explanation of how he masterminded United’s August’s 2-1 win in the reverse fixture – “because they can play fucking good football” – was cast as comical by a rout in which Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez and Salah each scored two, and Roberto Firmino’s late strike sealed United’s misery. Klopp: “The start of the game was super-dominant and super-flexible. A lot of moments in my mind where we were waiting for the right moment.” A terse Ten Hag declared: “It’s a really unprofessional performance and unnecessary. You have to do your jobs and we didn’t.” Yet United finished the season third, Liverpool fifth.
17 Dec 2023: Liverpool 0 United 0
A fourth goalless result since 2016 featured Diogo Dalot’s late red card for two pieces of dissent before a bumper 57,158 crowd, the largest since Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Burnley in February 1963 due to the opening of the Anfield Road Stand’s new upper tier. For Ten Hag and United the result was a relief after the previous season’s humiliation yet by the following October the Dutchman was gone. Liverpool ended the day trailing Arsenal by a point and would finish third, United down in eighth.
5 Jan 2025: Liverpool 2 United 2
Ruben Amorim’s first trip to Anfield as Ten Hag’s successor has an argument for being the best display of his checkered tenure. In a seesaw second half, Lisandro Martínez scored first for the Portuguese’s team, Gakpo equalised, and a 70th-minute Salah penalty gave Arne Slot’s side the lead before Amad Diallo’s leveller 10 minutes later. The draw prevented United suffering a fourth consecutive league defeat for the first time since 1979. “I’m happy for the performance, not happy with the result but am really mad with the other games,” said Amorim referencing the previous losses to Newcastle, Wolves and Bournemouth. Slot said: “In the end we could have lost it with the Maguire chance [a skied shot in added time].” Liverpool ended as champions in Slot’s first season to draw level with United on 20 titles; United ended in a record low of 15th.
