Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (2022): Ten Hag’s First Win
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool was the result at Old Trafford on Monday 22 August 2022, as Manchester United beat Liverpool and handed Erik ten Hag his first win as United manager. Jadon Sancho scored on 16 minutes and Marcus Rashford on 53; Mohamed Salah replied on 81. It was United’s third game of 2022-23, after defeats to Brighton and a 4-0 loss at Brentford, and their first league win over Liverpool since March 2018, as ESPN reported. Michael Oliver refereed in front of a near-capacity Old Trafford, on a Monday night we revisit in our On This Day series.
Two games into his reign, Ten Hag had a crisis on his hands, a dropped captain, a benched superstar and a new signing watching from the stands. What follows is how that Monday night unfolded, why the team selection mattered as much as the goals.
Key Facts
- Played on Monday 22 August 2022 at Old Trafford, a near-capacity crowd, as Monday Night Football and matchday three of the 2022-23 Premier League season.
- Manchester United won 2-1. Jadon Sancho scored on 16 minutes (assisted by Anthony Elanga), Marcus Rashford on 53 (assisted by Anthony Martial), and Mohamed Salah pulled one back on 81.
- It was Erik ten Hag’s first win as Manchester United manager, following an opening-day defeat to Brighton and a 4-0 loss at Brentford.
- Ten Hag dropped Cristiano Ronaldo and club captain Harry Maguire; Ronaldo came on for Rashford on 86 minutes. New signing Casemiro was presented on the pitch before kickoff but did not feature.
- The referee was Michael Oliver. Per Sky Sports, it was the seventh Premier League match in a row in which Liverpool had fallen behind first, a club record.
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The Night Ten Hag Turned His Season Around
A Manager Under Siege Before Kickoff
Few United managers have arrived at a bigger game so quickly out of goodwill. Ten Hag’s first two Premier League fixtures had brought a 1-2 home defeat to Brighton on 7 August, United’s goal an Alexis Mac Allister own goal, then a 4-0 collapse at Brentford on 13 August in which four goals arrived inside the opening 35 minutes, all reported by Sky Sports and ESPN. A summer of expectation had curdled into open talk of crisis, and Liverpool were the visitors.
The response came in the team sheet. Ten Hag dropped Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench and left out club captain Harry Maguire, a decision ESPN described as “a huge statement” in his selection. Casemiro, whose transfer from Real Madrid was completed that day, was presented to the crowd on the pitch before kickoff but did not play. The message was about attitude before anything else.
Sancho and Rashford Punish Liverpool
United played with an intensity that had been missing for weeks. On 16 minutes Anthony Elanga released Jadon Sancho, who slotted calmly past Alisson. Sky Sports noted that the goal made it seven successive Premier League matches in which Liverpool had gone behind first, a club record and a run that framed just how out of sorts Jurgen Klopp’s side had started. Eight minutes into the second half, half-time substitute Anthony Martial slipped in Marcus Rashford, who beat Alisson at the near post to make it 2-0 on 53 minutes.
| Minute | Scorer | Team | Assist | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Jadon Sancho | Manchester United | Anthony Elanga | 1-0 |
| 53 | Marcus Rashford | Manchester United | Anthony Martial | 2-0 |
| 81 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | – | 2-1 |
Liverpool rallied late. On 81 minutes Mohamed Salah headed home at the near post past David de Gea to halve the deficit, but United held firm through the closing stages. Ronaldo replaced Rashford on 86 minutes to see the game out, a striking symbol of how the night had reordered Ten Hag’s hierarchy.
How the evening unfolded:
- KO Casemiro is presented to the crowd, with Ronaldo and Maguire named among the substitutes.
- 16′ Elanga feeds Sancho, who finishes past Alisson for 1-0.
- 53′ Martial releases Rashford, who scores at the near post for 2-0.
- 81′ Salah pulls one back for Liverpool, 2-1.
- 86′ Ronaldo comes on for Rashford as United close it out.
What the Win Meant
This was, ESPN reported, the first time United had beaten Liverpool in the league since March 2018, and it lifted a siege that had been building since the opening day. Sky Sports called it a deserved first win. A season that had started with a home defeat and a four-goal humbling suddenly had a foundation, and the selection calls that had looked ruthless before kickoff looked vindicated by the final whistle.
READ MORE: More Premier League opening-week drama in our On This Day series →
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (2022)
What was the score in Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022?
In Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022, United won 2-1 at Old Trafford. Jadon Sancho scored on 16 minutes and Marcus Rashford on 53, before Mohamed Salah pulled one back for Liverpool on 81 minutes. It was Erik ten Hag’s first win as United manager, on Monday Night Football.
Who scored in Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022?
In Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022, Jadon Sancho opened the scoring on 16 minutes, assisted by Anthony Elanga. Marcus Rashford made it 2-0 on 53 minutes, set up by Anthony Martial. Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool’s goal on 81 minutes with a near-post header past David de Gea.
Was Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022 Erik ten Hag’s first win?
Yes. Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022 was Erik ten Hag’s first win as United manager, as Sky Sports reported. He had lost his opening two Premier League games in charge, a 1-2 home defeat to Brighton and a 4-0 loss at Brentford, before this 2-1 result.
Why was Cristiano Ronaldo benched in Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (2022)?
For Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022, Erik ten Hag dropped Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench, a selection ESPN called “a huge statement”. Ronaldo was not unused, though: he came on for Marcus Rashford on 86 minutes as United closed out their 2-1 defeat of Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Did Casemiro play in Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022?
No. In Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022, Casemiro did not feature. His transfer from Real Madrid was completed that day and he was presented to the crowd on the pitch before kickoff, and did not feature in this 2-1 win.
Where was Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool played, and who refereed it?
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022 was played at Old Trafford in front of a near-capacity crowd, as the Monday Night Football fixture of matchday three. The referee was Michael Oliver. It was a Premier League game in the 2022-23 season, Erik ten Hag’s first campaign in charge.
What record did Liverpool set in Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (2022)?
When Jadon Sancho scored in Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022, it marked the seventh Premier League game running in which Liverpool had been behind first, a club record, as Sky Sports reported. It was an unwanted marker of how sluggishly Jurgen Klopp’s side had begun the 2022-23 season before this defeat at Old Trafford.
How had Manchester United started 2022-23 before beating Liverpool?
Before Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022, United had lost their opening two games. They were beaten 1-2 at home by Brighton on 7 August, their goal an Alexis Mac Allister own goal, then thrashed 4-0 at Brentford on 13 August, all reported by Sky Sports and ESPN.
Was Harry Maguire dropped for Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022?
Yes. For Manchester United v Liverpool on 22 August 2022, Erik ten Hag left out club captain Harry Maguire alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, a double call ESPN framed as a statement of intent. United’s reshaped side responded with the discipline and intensity that produced a 2-1 result against Liverpool at Old Trafford.
When was Manchester United’s previous league win over Liverpool before 2022?
According to ESPN’s reporting, Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022 ended United’s wait for a league win against Liverpool that stretched back to March 2018. The gap underlined how significant the result felt, arriving in Erik ten Hag’s third game and rescuing a season that had opened with two defeats.
Why does Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022 still matter?
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool on 22 August 2022 mattered because it steadied Erik ten Hag’s reign at its lowest point. After losing to Brighton and Brentford, United beat one of Europe’s strongest sides through bold selection and renewed intensity, turning a talk of crisis into a platform the manager built on across the season.
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (2022)
A dropped superstar, a benched captain and a new signing in the stands: Erik ten Hag answered a fortnight of crisis with the bravest team sheet of his young United reign, and Sancho and Rashford repaid him against Liverpool. For more nights that turned seasons, from opening-day shocks to Premier League firsts, keep exploring our On This Day series, and dig into more of English football’s fiercest rivalries.
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