Man Utd suffered three first half injuries but still had enough to dent Liverpool's title hopes with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faced the toughest test of his United managerial tenure when he saw, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard, who was only on the field as a sub for Mata, all limp out of the action in the first half.
Liverpool, who also lost Roberto Firmino in a stop-start opening 45 minutes, could not find a way through United's hard-working defence in the second half in what was another below-par display from Jurgen Klopp's side.
Despite the visitors dominating possession, their final ball was consistently poor and Chris Smalling even had a late chance to win it for United at the end as a game full of gusto but low on clear-cut chances ended in a goalless stalemate.
The point was enough for Liverpool to go back to the top of the Premier League, but they're not just a single point ahead of Manchester City after a third draw in four games.
United, meanwhile, remain unbeaten under Solskjaer was they proved their improved immensely on the defensive side as well as going forward, although they did slip down into fifth behind Arsenal after the Gunners beat Southampton.
More to follow...
Man Utd 0-0 Liverpool - Opta stats
- This was the fifth draw played out by Manchester United and Liverpool in their last seven meetings in all competitions (one win each), as many as their previous 50 encounters combined beforehand.
- This draw has taken Liverpool top of the Premier League, meaning today will be the 400th day they have finished top of the table in the competition’s history.
- Liverpool have played out back-to-back goalless draws in all competitions for the first time since April 2013 (v West Ham and Reading) under manager Brendan Rodgers.
- Manchester United have failed to score in back-to-back games at Old Trafford in all competitions for the first time since December 2015 against PSV Eindhoven and West Ham United with Louis van Gaal in charge.
- Liverpool have managed to win just two of their last 18 visits to Old Trafford in all competitions (D3 L13), and only one of their last 13 (D3 L9).
- Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard became the first player to be substituted on and then off in the first half of a Premier League match since Kevin Long for Burnley against Newcastle United in January 2015.
- Manchester United were the first team to make all three substitutions in the first half of a Premier League game since Burnley in January 2015 vs Newcastle United.
- Overall, there were four substitutions made in the first half of this match (3x Man Utd, 1x Liverpool), the most in a single Premier League game since Wigan v Fulham in February 2009 (also four).
- Manchester United’s David De Gea kept his 100th clean sheet in the Premier League; the seventh goalkeeper to do so for a single club and the second for Man Utd after Peter Schmeichel (112).
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