Where are they now? The last Man Utd XI to score a goal vs. Liverpool at Anfield

Manchester United share a fierce rivalry with Liverpool, but haven’t scored at the home of their bitter enemies since December 2018.

United lost 3-1 that day and manager Jose Mourinho was sacked in the immediate aftermath of the defeat. As Liverpool went from success to success, United have made five scoreless trips to Anfield in the years since.

We’ve dug into the archives to see how the last United XI who managed to score at Anfield are faring these days.

GK: David de Gea

There can be no denying that De Gea was once ranked as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, but his drop-off in form did coincide with United’s continued struggles after Mourinho left.

Since leaving the club in 2023, the former Spain international endured a year as a free agent before signing for Serie A outfit Fiorentina in the latest summer window.

He’s enjoying something of a resurgence for the upwardly mobile Serie A outfit and has probably saved more penalties in Italy than during his entire 12-year stay at Old Trafford.

RB: Matteo Darmian

Darmian only ever had a bit-part role during his four years at Old Trafford and returned to his native Italy in 2019, joining Parma in a £1.4million deal.

The full-back has since joined Inter Milan and has managed to get his hands on seven trophies back in Italy. Darmian also went close to winning the Champions League in 2023, only for Inter to lose the final against Manchester City.

CB: Chris Smalling

Smalling left Manchester United for Roma in 2019, but he enjoyed the latter years of his career after embracing a new start in the Italian capital.

He won the inaugural UEFA Conference League in 2022 and finished as a runner-up in the Europa League a year later.

The former England international was on the move again last summer, joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha and recovering from the worst debut by a British defender since Jonathan Woodgate.

READ: Move over Woodgate – Chris Smalling has made the worst debut in football history

CB: Victor Lindelof

The first of three starters in 2018 who is still playing at United to this day. Lindelof has been in and out of the starting XI under a succession of managers but nowadays finds himself way down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim.

Lindelof’s card was marked by Mourinho, who took the opportunity to aim a subtle dig at the defender while on punditry duty for Sky Sports in 2019.

“Lindelof is very, very good in some aspects of the game,” Mourinho said. “But he can be bullied in the one-on-one in the box, he’s not especially good in the air and Maguire has that kind of presence and physicality that is very, very important.”

The Sweden international is out of contract at the end of the 2024-25 season and it would be a surprise if he stayed at Old Trafford.

LB: Ashley Young

Veteran servant Young left United back in 2020 but is still playing regularly four years later at the age of 39.

He won a Scudetto with Inter, spent two years back at Aston Villa and is now providing experience for Sean Dyche’s relegation-battling Everton.

READ NEXT: Where are they now? The first 8 Man Utd players sold by Jose Mourinho

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every Man Utd player to score vs. Liverpool in the PL since 2000?

CM: Ander Herrera (Anthony Martial ’79)

Herrera established himself as a fan favourite at United but called time on a five-year stay at the club when his contract expired in 2019.

The midfielder then joined PSG on a free transfer, winning Ligue 1 and playing in the Champions League final in his debut season. He’s now returned to his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao.

His replacement at Anfield six years ago arrived at United with huge expectations and scored a wonder goal on his debut against Liverpool.

But Martial infuriated the Old Trafford faithful with his inconsistent performances and attitude that stunk like a teenager’s bedroom. He left United at the end of his contract in 2024 and signed for AEK Athens in Greece.

CM: Nemanja Matic

One of Jose Mourinho’s loyal disciples, Matic stayed at United in the summer of 2022 before reuniting with his former boss at Roma.

Matic spent just one season in Italy before moving to Lyon, where he remains an important first-team member at the age of 36.

QUIZ: Can you name every Man Utd signing since Sir Alex Ferguson retired?

RW: Diogo Dalot (Marouanne Fellaini ’45)

United signed Dalot back in 2018 for a reported fee of £19million, but he didn’t impress instantly. Perhaps being played on the wing, as he was at Anfield, was a reason behind his initial underwhelming performances.

Even now, just when you think the full-back is impressing consistently at the top level and seems to have kicked on, Dalot will bring you back down to earth with some really poor defending or one particularly shocking miss at West Ham in Erik ten Hag’s last game.

Still, that hasn’t stopped Real Madrid being linked with his signature.

Despite being a much-maligned figure at Old Trafford, Fellaini was a regular in the United team under both Louis van Gaal and Mourinho.

But he was immediately deemed surplus to requirements by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and joined Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng in January 2019.

The midfielder stayed in China until his retirement in 2024.

CAM: Jesse Lingard (Juan Mata ’85)

United’s goalscorer at Anfield, Lingard left at the end of his contract in June 2022 and spent an unsuccessful year at Nottingham Forest. His career had nosedived after his memorable loan spell at West Ham and offers from European clubs were not forthcoming.

So the midfielder moved to the other side of the planet – FC Seoul in South Korea. A month later, in March 2024, J-Lingz was publicly called out by his manager, Kim Gi-dong for “lack of effort and physicality.”

He’s now back in action and has six K-League goals to his name.

Mata became an increasingly bit-part player in the United squad and left the club for Galatasaray in 2022.

Since leaving United, the Spaniard has struggled to settle in one place for long as he’s had spells in Turkey, Japan and now Australia.

Currently playing for Western Sydney Wanderers, he’s one of the most recognisable faces currently playing in the A-League.

LW: Marcus Rashford

Rashford developed into one of the most senior and important players in the dressing room – but is now on the verge of leaving United.

With 138 goals in 426 appearances for his hometown club, Rashford has been one of United’s defining players of the post-Fergie era.

But his lack of sustained form combined with sky-high wages has seen the forward become a target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s continued streamlining and Rashford himself has admitted he’s ready for a new challenge.

It’s a sad end to his time at Old Trafford and most United fans will wish to see Rashford revive his career elsewhere.

ST: Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku has scored goals wherever he has played. Despite not being at his prolific best while at Old Trafford, the Belgium international still managed to score 42 goals in 96 appearances for United which isn’t too shabby.

Lukaku appears to be happiest in Italy, particularly playing under former managers.

After reuniting with Mourinho on loan at Roma, he’s now signed for Napoli to reunite with Antonio Conte and has frequently rolled back the years to when they were together at Inter.