Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: Reds player ratings after listless performance at Old Trafford | Premier League 2022-23

Liverpool’s quest for their first win of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign continues following their 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Monday night.

Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford put the Red Devils in the lead before Mohamed Salah reduced the deficit in the final minutes at Old Trafford. United, though, hung on to take all three points on the night.

The hosts took the lead when a one-two between Anthony Elanga and Christian Eriksen put the young attacker in the box. He did well to find Sancho, who showed great composure to slot the ball past Allison.

In the 53rd minute, Anthony Martial picked up a loose ball and set Rashford behind the Liverpool defence. The Englishman did well to slot the ball into the back of the net despite Alisson rushing out to narrow the angle.

Salah reacted first to a rebound and headed past David De Gea at his near post to reduce arrears. Despite dominating possession, Jurgen Klopp’s side could not find the equaliser.

It marked the first time Liverpool lost to United in the Premier League since March 2018. On that note, here are the player ratings for Klopp’s men:

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Alisson - 5/10

While Alisson was not particularly at fault for either goal, he did have his usual inspiring presence between the sticks. His distribution was a little shaky, though. He pulled off a few decent saves, with the one on Christian Eriksen’s free-kick being the best of the lot.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold - 4/10

The English right-back was all over the place. While a lot has been said about his lack of defensive skills, his attacking contributions have always masked them. That was not the case at Old Trafford. He was caught out of position for Jadon Sancho’s opener and also picked up a yellow card.

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Joe Gomez - 4.5/10

Started alongside Virgil van Dijk for the first time since 2020, but he had a night to forget. Looked like his team's best defender on the pitch till Marcus Rashford ran free to score.

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Virgil van Dijk - 4/10

While Virgil van Dijk has been one of the world’s best defenders since moving to Liverpool, he had an awful night at Old Trafford. He was weak for the opening goal, making a very lazy attempt to block Jadon Sancho’s effort before getting an earful from James Milner afterwards.

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Andrew Robertson - 5/10

He did better than Trent Alexander-Arnold defensively on his wing. Going forward, Robertson's understanding with Luis Diaz was well behind what he enjoyed with Sadio Mane over the years.

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James Milner - 3/10

The 36-year-old started at Old Trafford as a midfielder. He was seemingly asked to press high up the pitch and was not taken off at half-time despite looking out of his depth in the first half. Milner wasn't at his best on the night, but Jurgen Klopp will have to bear a part of the blame for that.

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Jordan Henderson - 3/10

It was a performance to forget from the Liverpool captain, who was deployed as a No. 6. Henderson did not shield his defence well and spent more time shouting at others instead of focusing on his own game. He lost the ball for United's second goal and showed barely any interest to recover once he did.

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Harvey Elliott - 5/10

Sadio Mane’s departure and Thiago’s recurring injuries have given the teenager the chance to have an extended run in the team. He did his best at Old Trafford, providing some much-needed guile, effort and tenacity. However, he was part of a midfield trio that got overrun with surprising ease.

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Mohamed Salah - 5/10

Salah loves scoring against United. He has now scored as many Premier League goals (8) against them as Thierry Henry and Steven Gerrard. The goal aside, the Egyptian was never in the thick of things, as he was well marked and starved of service.

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Luis Diaz - 4.5/10

Diaz tried his best but was well marked by Diogo Dalot throughout the contest.

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Roberto Firmino - 4/10

Darwin Nunez’s suspension meant Firmino led the line for the Reds. His defensive contributions were there, but his offensive threat vanished. That explains why Liverpool spent huge money to buy Nunez this summer.

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Liverpool Substitutes

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Fabinho - 6/10

Looked better than Milner and Henderson. Besides having a header well saved by David De Gea, didn’t do much else.

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Fabio Carvalho - 6/10

Entered the game at a difficult period and made a difference, as it was his header that was saved before Salah scored from the rebound.

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Konstantinos Tsimikas - 5/10

Came on in the 85th minute and did not make any impact.