The defeat continued Liverpool’s troubles earlier in the season and marked the first time the club had failed to win at least one of their opening three games during manager Jurgen Klopp’s tenure.
“We have no problem,” said Klopp, according to the Guardian. “We’re in a difficult situation with injuries, we got through the week with 14, 15 older players and now we have to make sure they don’t get injured.
“We should have won that game, I know it sounds ridiculous but that’s how I saw it.”
The build-up to the game began amid a cloud of protests and smoke flares organized by Manchester United fans against the Glazer family, who have become increasingly unpopular owners in recent years as the club’s fortunes have plummeted.
“There is a need for answers and for change in some way – the main thing that all fans want and are clearly focused on results,” former Manchester United striker Louis Saha told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.
“If you have all these results tomorrow, like [Monday] Consistently, no one talks about the owners, no one. So it’s about making this club successful again and winning trophies.”
The Red Devils had started the weekend bottom of the table – after a humiliating 4-0 defeat by Brentford and a 2-1 home defeat by Brighton – putting the pressure on a club that had suffered under expectations for years.
In response, manager Erik ten Hag – already under pressure after just three games in charge – dropped captain Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the Liverpool clash.
“The impact… is like nobody is guaranteed a place at Manchester United,” added Saha. “Nobody should think that whatever happened, whatever your status, you should certainly start.
“I really like the idea that to still be a part of the team you have to be humble and say, ‘Okay, today isn’t my day, but I’m going to contribute everything today in these games or maybe a week is’ because it’s a long season and everyone has to understand that the manager has to decide who’s going to perform today.”
Without Maguire and Ronaldo, United started brilliantly, playing at a high pace and creating a chance after just four minutes when Marcus Rashford passed Virgil van Dijk but couldn’t put his shot past the Liverpool defender.
The Red Devils had another chance six minutes later when Anthony Elanga’s shot ricocheted off the post and the home crowd responded with growing enthusiasm for their side.
Despite those early shocks, Liverpool were still struggling to find a rhythm and were punished in the 16th minute when Jadon Sancho controlled the ball with a couple of cool touches in the box, thwarting the Reds’ defense before putting it into the net .
It continued Liverpool’s unfortunate habit of conceding first, as the club have now done in seven straight league games for the first time in the Premier League era.
“We give every team a goal start,” said Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson, according to the BBC. “We cannot put up a hard fight. That needs to change.
“In the warm up it was the quietest thing I’ve ever heard in that stadium and they wanted something that would lift them and we gave it to them.”
Nine minutes later the decibel meter crept in again at Old Trafford when Christian Eriksen almost rolled the ball into the top right corner of the goal from a free kick, only stopped by the outstretched fingertips of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Liverpool finally began to string a few stages together and only a desperate United defense from Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martínez in the scrum prevented a pre-half equalizer from a corner.
“All About Attitude”
The Reds seemed buoyed after the break but it was United who struck the opening blow of the second half as Anthony Martial capitalized on a loose ball in midfield and found an open Rashford who stormed away to score his first goal in 997 minutes achieve United.
Another spectacular save from Alisson two minutes later stemmed the tide somewhat, but Liverpool’s frustration was clear from the sight of Milner and Van Dijk yelling at each other throughout half-time.
It was a completely different side to the ones that had worked against Brighton and Brentford in the first two games of the season.
“It’s the mindset… you have to have that ambition, that fighting spirit is the basis if you want to maintain that kind of quality throughout the season,” said Saha.
“No matter how much talent you have or how much transfer market budget you have, the starting point is there and I think that was the difference yesterday and it was brilliant to watch from the first minute to the last.”
The Reds finally clawed back a goal with eight minutes remaining when Mo Salah headed in from close range after United failed to clear a corner.
Salah’s goal made for a thrilling final but Manchester United clinched their first win of the season and first of manager Erik ten Hag’s tenure.
“We can talk about technique, but it’s all about attitude. Well, see, we’re bringing the attitude,” Ten Hag said afterwards, according to the Guardian.
“There was communication, there was fighting spirit and above all there was a team and you see what they can achieve. Because they can play damn good football.”
Liverpool, a side just 15 minutes from winning the Premier League last season, are now 16th in the table with just two points from their first three games.
“Two points from nine is not the start we wanted,” Robertson added, according to the BBC. “We have to pick up our services individually and collectively.”