Liverpool v Man Utd finished scoreless at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, in a result that looks like it can only really benefit Manchester City.
Here are the player ratings from the Premier League encounter.
Liverpool v Man Utd
Liverpool player ratings
Alisson: Saved well low against Fernandes towards the end of the second half, before saving the match from Pogba at close range. 7
Andy Robertson: Skied an early chance, chances come from his constant overlapping. Looked lively from the off, and was unfortunate that Firmino didn't finish from his cross late in the second half. 7
Jordan Henderson: Helped by a surprising lack of press from United's front line early on, acted like a quarterback for most of the match. 6
Fabinho: The auxiliary centre-back was probably man of the match. He was no stranger to stepping into midfield, but didn't stop him taking out the likes of Martial with strong challenges. Blocked well from Fernandes at the start of the second, and shepherded away Rashford well on the break. 8
Trent Alexander-Arnold: A poor performance from an excellent player. There is a case to be made that he needs a rest after a series of below-par performances, and there would be no shame in it. But he was sloppy in possession and looked lazy in his thinking. 5
Thiago: The heartbeat of Liverpool's midfield from deep, probably didn't benefit from poor forwards' performances. A range of passing on display and is just getting match fitness back. 7
Gini Wijnaldum: Low-key performance but did what he does well. Will be a miss for Liverpool if he goes in the summer. 6
Xherdan Shaqiri: Reasonably reliable in an unfamiliar role, skied an early effort before being substituted for Jones. 5
Sadio Mane: Very quiet throughout. He is going through a low-key poor patch of form, which is mirroring his team's indifference. Three games without a goal for Liverpool is unusual for LFC and for their front three. 5
Mohamed Salah: He looked off-key throughout, a fraction of a second late in reacting to space or chances. It would be interesting to know if he is suffering from post-COVID fatigue. As it is, Liverpool look relatively blunt. 5
Roberto Firmino: Should have scored just after the quarter-hour mark, and squandered another chance soon after. Profligate for much of the game. 5
Subs:
Curtis Jones: Didn't have much time to influence the game. 6
Divock Origi: Ditto the Belgian, forced a bit of United nervousness towards the end.
Manchester United player ratings
David De Gea: Had barely anything to do, despite Liverpool being on top for the majority of the match. 6
Luke Shaw: A solid first half, kept Salah largely quiet. Outran the Egyptian to an early break from a United set-piece. Grew into the game in the second half. Often feels like he is running without a particular purpose, but a good display and the best of United's defenders. 7
Harry Maguire: Gave the ball away on 25 minutes to cause a Liverpool attack. Dispossessed Firmino well at the back post after a Robertson cross late in the second half. Often feels a passive character on the pitch. 6
Victor Lindelof: A quietly assured display. 6
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Had a tendency to get pulled over towards the left flank and it threw off United's coverage of Robertson early in the first half. Formed part of a reasonably assured United rearguard. 6
Fred: Dispossessed Salah well early on, but was largely overrun to begin with. Formed a solid if unspectacular partnership with McTominay in the second half. 6
Scott McTominay: He and Fred had a tricky start, the contrast to their opposite number's passing and technique was a strong one. He is developing a tendency to not show for the ball, which doesn't help United defensively. Launched into a line-breaking run late in the second half that disrupted, but needed to see more of that. 6
Marcus Rashford: Squandered an early break, United's first. Could have scored on the break after a deep ball from Bruno, was eased away from goal by Fabinho in United's clearest break. Was lively and pacy, but ultimately short. 6
Bruno Fernandes: A poor first half, often looking - as he does - for the threaded ball. Came close with a free-kick on 34 minutes. Quiet by his standards, but still probably United's most threatening attacker. 7
Paul Pogba: Started as if he wanted to impose himself on the game physically, if a little loose in possession at times. Struggled on the right-hand side initially, really began to thrive in the middle. The fact is that he's the only of United's central midfielders who can really pass. Missed the chance of the match at the near post to Alisson. 7
Anthony Martial: Largely struggled, started like he was a little low on confidence. 5
Subs:
Edinson Cavani: The Uruguayan came on and added a bit of vim up top, but didn't offer an enormous amount. 6
