There was snow, sleet and lashing rain at Anfield as the elements combined for a breathless 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Manchester United.
For those inclined, a stiff drink may now be required.
The goals poured in with two apiece in the second half, the added drama of Harry Maguire blazing over the crossbar from close range in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time.
Substitute Joshua Zirkzee, jeered by the Old Trafford crowd last time out against Newcastle, played a pass that bobbled across the surface before ending close to the second tier of the Anfield Road End after the United centre back made a mess of the finish.
It would have been a stunning winner and truly marked this fixture down as an instant classic.
It won’t be forgotten any time soon, though.
The second 45 minutes provided the kind of chaos that seems to be seeping out of the modern game at the elite level.
In a world of rigid processes and the strictest of structures, this was an old-fashioned antidote to so much of the monotony.
United players even showed the kind of quality and character that should put an end to any talk of relegation.
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Liverpool notched another point on the board to stay six clear at the top of the table – with a game in hand – and considering they only seemed to properly awaken from their slumber when Lisandro Martinez smashed in an opener on 52 minutes they won’t have too many complaints with the outcome.
Still, they must surely have thought they won it when two goals in 11 minutes after falling behind then put them in front.
Matthijs de Ligt went low and then high to undo so much of his teammates’ good work.
Mo Salah soaks in the moment after his penalty. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The centre back took the easy option by sliding in on Cody Gakpo, only for his fellow Dutchman to cut inside a curl a beauty into the far top corner.
The Kop erupted just before the hour and they did so again when Michael Oliver was sent to the screen to correctly award a penalty for a handball in the box from De Light.
He threw his arm up with the ball close to his face and once the referee pointed to the spot Mo Salah was never going to miss.
After he smashed the ball low and hard to Andre Onana’s left he stood in front of the Kop to soak in the adoration.
He then dropped to the floor and sat in a familiar pose with a beaming smile as the whole of Anfield sang for their Egyptian king. With his contract coming to an end this summer this might well have been the last time he plays in this fixture.
It looked like his strike would be the winner until Amad Diallo, as he has made a habit of doing under Ruben Amorim, produced a big moment in the 80th minute.
Substitute Alejandro Garnacho had space on the United left wing and pulled back a cross that was met with a scruffy connection by the winger coming in off the opposite side.
But it was on target and had enough pace to squirm past Alisson as the away fans in that corner of the ground savoured the madness. Maguire could have had a John O’Shea moment had his shot right at the death found the roof of the net instead of the roof of the Anfield Road End.
It was March 2007 when the Waterford native scored at the opposite end of the pitch to send United on their way to the Premier League crown.
They amassed 20 English titles because of Alex Ferguson and it’s a record that Liverpool now have in their sights.
They trail on 19 and have put themselves in a position of power at the top that means 2025 should be the year they draw level.
United are not a club that should revel in moral victories, and those at the top intent on restoring their place at the summit of English football should still feel a pang of regret.
This current version of United, one that are 13th in the table, came to Anfield and put in arguably their best performance of the season.
And it still wasn’t enough to win.
For 52 minutes Liverpool were just shy of dreadful – going off the standards set this season at least.
Trent Alexander-Arnold epitomised their lethargy and overconfidence, and but for the imperious Virgil van Dijk Liverpool may have suffered far more than they did. He also came close to scoring in injury-time when he stuck his head on an Alexis Mac Allister flick on but could only guide the effort straight into the grateful arms of Onana.
Snow almost meant this game never took place and, despite the madness that followed, it should only be a minor stumbling block on Liverpool’s road to a famous title.
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English football's greatest rivals serve up old-school classic of chaos at Anfield
DRY JANUARY CAN do one.
There was snow, sleet and lashing rain at Anfield as the elements combined for a breathless 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Manchester United.
For those inclined, a stiff drink may now be required.
The goals poured in with two apiece in the second half, the added drama of Harry Maguire blazing over the crossbar from close range in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time.
Substitute Joshua Zirkzee, jeered by the Old Trafford crowd last time out against Newcastle, played a pass that bobbled across the surface before ending close to the second tier of the Anfield Road End after the United centre back made a mess of the finish.
It would have been a stunning winner and truly marked this fixture down as an instant classic.
It won’t be forgotten any time soon, though.
The second 45 minutes provided the kind of chaos that seems to be seeping out of the modern game at the elite level.
In a world of rigid processes and the strictest of structures, this was an old-fashioned antidote to so much of the monotony.
United players even showed the kind of quality and character that should put an end to any talk of relegation.
Liverpool notched another point on the board to stay six clear at the top of the table – with a game in hand – and considering they only seemed to properly awaken from their slumber when Lisandro Martinez smashed in an opener on 52 minutes they won’t have too many complaints with the outcome.
Still, they must surely have thought they won it when two goals in 11 minutes after falling behind then put them in front.
Matthijs de Ligt went low and then high to undo so much of his teammates’ good work.
The centre back took the easy option by sliding in on Cody Gakpo, only for his fellow Dutchman to cut inside a curl a beauty into the far top corner.
The Kop erupted just before the hour and they did so again when Michael Oliver was sent to the screen to correctly award a penalty for a handball in the box from De Light.
He threw his arm up with the ball close to his face and once the referee pointed to the spot Mo Salah was never going to miss.
After he smashed the ball low and hard to Andre Onana’s left he stood in front of the Kop to soak in the adoration.
He then dropped to the floor and sat in a familiar pose with a beaming smile as the whole of Anfield sang for their Egyptian king. With his contract coming to an end this summer this might well have been the last time he plays in this fixture.
It looked like his strike would be the winner until Amad Diallo, as he has made a habit of doing under Ruben Amorim, produced a big moment in the 80th minute.
Substitute Alejandro Garnacho had space on the United left wing and pulled back a cross that was met with a scruffy connection by the winger coming in off the opposite side.
But it was on target and had enough pace to squirm past Alisson as the away fans in that corner of the ground savoured the madness. Maguire could have had a John O’Shea moment had his shot right at the death found the roof of the net instead of the roof of the Anfield Road End.
It was March 2007 when the Waterford native scored at the opposite end of the pitch to send United on their way to the Premier League crown.
They amassed 20 English titles because of Alex Ferguson and it’s a record that Liverpool now have in their sights.
They trail on 19 and have put themselves in a position of power at the top that means 2025 should be the year they draw level.
United are not a club that should revel in moral victories, and those at the top intent on restoring their place at the summit of English football should still feel a pang of regret.
This current version of United, one that are 13th in the table, came to Anfield and put in arguably their best performance of the season.
And it still wasn’t enough to win.
For 52 minutes Liverpool were just shy of dreadful – going off the standards set this season at least.
Trent Alexander-Arnold epitomised their lethargy and overconfidence, and but for the imperious Virgil van Dijk Liverpool may have suffered far more than they did. He also came close to scoring in injury-time when he stuck his head on an Alexis Mac Allister flick on but could only guide the effort straight into the grateful arms of Onana.
Snow almost meant this game never took place and, despite the madness that followed, it should only be a minor stumbling block on Liverpool’s road to a famous title.
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