Manchester United shook off the weight of history against Liverpool this evening, winning at Anfield for the first time since 2016.
The Red Devils took a very early lead through Bryan Mbeumo, but relentless Liverpool pressure eventually led to a second-half equaliser.
It looked like a historic victory was slipping out of reach for United, who were preparing to dig in and hold on for a draw, but Harry Maguire popped up again with another late winner, heading home a deliciously weighted Bruno Fernandes cross.
“Nice to get one over Liverpool”
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, a delighted Maguire explained just how big this win was for the club.
The 32-year-old said: “It means everything. They had had the better of us over the last few years and it’s not been good for our club. We have not given our fans enough days like today, so it has been a long time coming, coming to this ground and picking up three points.”
He continued: “It is not just three points to the club and to the boys. I have been coming to this ground for seven years now and to not get three points has been tough. It’s for the fans and I hope they had a great night tonight.”
With United now up to ninth in the Premier League, and just two points behind Liverpool in fourth, Maguire’s hopes are likely to come true.
But a win over Liverpool is always particularly sweet, and Maguire added: “It is nice to get one over them. Football is all about memories and making special memories. I am sure all the fans will go home with memories, we will all go home happy.”
Watershed moment
Tonight’s triumph was huge for United, not just as a major victory against their bitter rivals but also as an indication of some progress with Ruben Amorim’s project.
This is the first time the Portuguese head coach has strung together back-to-back league wins after defeating Sunderland earlier this month.
There is great hope that having reached this point things may finally click into gear and United can shake off a disappointing start to the season.
When asked what happens next, Maguire was realistic. He said: “We won’t get carried away because we can’t afford that as a club, we will use it as motivation.
“In this club, it will mean a lot this week and then we have Brighton at home next week. So we have to remain calm headed.”
Featured image Michael Reagan via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.
