Manchester United v Liverpool LIVE: Result and final score after Diaz and Salah rip through shambolic hosts

The crowd whistle their disapproval as Mainoo waits to be allowed to return by the referee, the home fans’ angst not helped by their team giving theb all away in a dangerous area. Matthijs de Ligt steps out strongly to ensure no further damage is done.

With Mainoo back amongst things, Joshua Zirkzee is booked for pulling back a Liverpool player. Anthony Taylor brandishes the card to few complaints.

Mohamed Salah extricates himself from three Manchester United defenders, legs tangled like mangrove roots but Salah somehow escaping with the ball. He can’t make anything of the possession but that was lovely footwork.

Kobbie Mainoo has taken a bang to the head, which is reason for concern. Thankfully, he seems alright, though the medic will make totally certain before permitting the midfielder to return.

Pulled back to no-one! Bruno Fernandes wins possession and arcs a curvaceous pass with the outside of his boot for Alejandro Garnacho. There’s only really Marcus Rashford to aim for, though, so Garnacho cuts back to the ‘D’, assuming that someone might be there to fire it goalwards. Alas, there are only Liverpool shirts occupying the space, and Ryan Gravernberch mops up.

It is a little bit damp in Manchester today, though the players seem to be enjoying the moist surface, using it effectively to zip their passes about so far. Noussair Mazraoui stays with Luis Diaz really well as the Colombian peels infield to try and spark something from deeper.

Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrated a la Steven Gerrard here with a kiss of a camera, a stolen smooch that’ll ultimately be forgotten. A shame.

There’s a frantic energy about this first 10 minutes, and it has only been enriched by that early goal that wasn’t. There were a couple of lovely passes in the build-up to that Alexander-Arnold moment, Ryan Gravenberch taking one of them quite delightfully before producing one of his own.

A flowing move forward and Trent Alexander-Arnold scores...just!

And there’s an offside check, too...and it’s ruled out! Mohamed Salah was offside when Luis Diaz squared it, and though Alexander-Arnold fired it into Diogo Dalot just beyond the line, his goal is chalked off thanks to Salah’s small touch on the way through to the right-back.

Dalot had done well to get into blocking position but the ball clearly crossed, as goalline technology quickly confirmed - but it’s the other technological advancement that counts against Liverpool, a relatively speedy VAR check showing Salah off.

Liverpool’s first effort comes off the back of a Virgil van Dijk interception on halfway. The Dutch centre-half carries the ball forward with intent and slips in Diogo Jota, though the forward is forced wide by a slightly errant pass and scuffs his off-balance shot back beyond Andre Onana’s goal.

Bruno Fernandes can’t beat the first man from the corner.

Manchester United are soon on the attack again in a bright and busy opening for the hosts. There’s a malfunction at the junction between Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee, though, prompting an animated conversation between the captain and his new colleague.

Marcus Rashford does get a ball in the box at the second attempt after some excellent work from Diogo Dalot, Virgil van Dijk knocking Rashford’s cross behind for a corner.