Key Opta facts from Man United vs Liverpool clash

Manchester United drew 1-1 with Liverpool to dash the Reds' hopes of matching Manchester City's record number of successive league wins.

Published : Oct 21, 2019 11:08 IST

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the first half.
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the first half.
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Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the first half.

Manchester United stopped the rot at Old Trafford and slowed Liverpool's Premier League title charge with a battling performance in a tightly contested 1-1 draw.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in contentious fashion with his first goal for United in over a month to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's much-improved side hope of a memorable victory.

United's hope faded with five minutes remaining, however, when Adam Lallana struck for the first time in the Premier League in over two years to claim a share of the spoils Liverpool's second-half display deserved.

Jurgen Klopp's men went into the game as favourites but had to settle for a draw, and the key Opta facts marked significant milestones on both sides of a fierce rivalry which rarely delivers a dull game.

Reds' run falls short of City's record

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Liverpool celebrates Adam Lallana's goal against Manchester United.
 

Victory at Old Trafford would have seen Liverpool equal Manchester City's record of 18 consecutive Premier League wins, set in 2017, but they were denied at the last hurdle.

It was the first time Klopp's side failed to win a Premier League match since its goalless draw with Merseyside rivals Everton in March.

Rashford relishes big-game pressure

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Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford finished from close range in the first half.
 

Though he made an inauspicious start to the game, wasting early opportunities to attack, Rashford – who scored a wonderful goal in England’s thumping win over Bulgaria in Euro 2020 qualifying – made amends when he converted Daniel James' cross after 36 minutes.

It was the England forward's 31st Premier League goal for United, of which 11 have come against 'big six' opponents, and his third against Liverpool.

Lallana ends two-year drought

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Adam Lallana celebrates his late equaliser at Old Trafford.
 

Few Liverpool fans would have held out hope of Lallana grabbing an equaliser after his 71st-minute introduction given that his previous Premier League goal came against Middlesbrough in May 2017.

The 31-year-old was in the right place at the right time to turn Andy Robertson's cross home for his first goal in 29 top-flight appearances.

Solskjaer left to rue more dropped points

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Despite a morale boosting draw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still winless in the past four matches.
 

While United's performance was warmly received by the Old Trafford crowd, it was not the first time Solskjaer's side have faltered when in a winning position this season.

Indeed, no side has dropped more points from winning positions than United, which has squandered eight, though Solskjaer is the only manager Klopp has faced more than once in the Premier League and failed to beat

Klopp's fighting spirit lifts Liverpool

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Liverpool is still six points above Manchester City at the top.
 

After a frustrating first half in which they had 56.9 per cent of the possession, Liverpool dominated the second and enjoyed a 77.5 per cent share.

Lallana's late equaliser was the 28th goal Liverpool has scored in the final 15 minutes of Premier League matches since the start of the 2018-19 season.

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