And here’s Daniel Taylor’s match report from Anfield.

It’s hard to know what to make of that. Liverpool were much the better team but only forced one admittedly miraculous save from David De Gea; United were diabolical going forward but got a good point. Thanks for your company, a match report will appear here shortly. Bye!

90+4 min ... and Matip heads it over.

90+3 min Moreno wins one last corner for Liverpool...

90+3 min F**k me it’s Victor Lindelof! He comes on to make his Premier League debut, replacing Ashley Young, who did his job as defensive winger pretty well.

90+1 min Another corner for Liverpool, who are ending the match on top. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s dipping outswinger is nutted over from 12 yards byu Lovren. Jones did enough to ensure he didn’t have a clear header.

90 min Gary Neville gives Joe Gomez the Man of the Match award. Liverpool have a corner, as we approach three minutes of added time.

89 min “I wonder what Ferguson and Bobby Charlton make of away days against the top six these days,” says Paul Fitzgerald, who may have forgotten United’s performances at Anfield in the mid-2000s.

88 min Gomez, who has had a fine game in defence and attack, does excellently to dispossess Rashford during a rare United attack.

87 min Ashley Young’s afternoon of suffering ends with the inevitable yellow card for a high foot. Liverpool make their final change, with Dominic Solanke replacing Roberto Firmino.

87 min You know what I was saying about these games only being boring with hindsight...

86 min Matic isn’t really a highlights player, so he’s never mentioned in MBMs, but he’s been excellent today. He’s probably the only United player, with the occasional exception of Martial, who has been calm enough to put his foot on the ball.

84 min Can surges down the inside-left channel, a fine run that takes him into the area. He’s torn between a cross and a shot and ends up dragging a low ball that is claimed on the stretch by De Gea.

84 min You couldn’t accuse the United players of being an unprofessional bunch of clowns. They have given their all, they’ve just played badly going forward. It happens.

83 min Darmian kicks his team-mate Matic in the head while stretching for a high ball. As he foot falls it hits Can on the back of the neck. Darmian now has cramp. It’s been a long afternoon of the soul for him, the poor bloke.

82 min “United have been absolutely hopeless today,” says Justin Kavanagh, “but might this have John O’Shea written all over it?”

Well it might. Or it might not.

80 min That’s a decent statement of intent from Oxlade-Chamberlain, who roasts Darmian thrillingly before his dangerous cross is cleared at the near post.

79 min As Gary Neville says, Jurgen Klopp is obviously worried about being mugged on the break so he wants to keep a tight midfield three. The front three is now Firmino left, Sturridge central and Oxlade-Chamberlain right.

78 min A double Liverpool change: Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replace Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho. That’s interesting.

76 min Whatever the result, this has been a desperately disappointing attacking performance from United. They have defended very well for the most part, with De Gea only having to make that one extraordinary save, but they have been so poor in possession.

74 min Smalling is penalised, and booked, for going through Coutinho to win the ball on the halfway line.

73 min I’d bring Sturridge on for either Can or Wijnaldum and move Coutinho into midfield. There’s no sign of that happening yet, however.

71 min This half has been a training session: Liverpool attack v United defence. Coutinho clips a high-class pass over the defence to find Firmino on the left of the box. He chests it down and lobs a cross fractionally over the head of Salah at the far post. Firmino bangs the ground in frustration; a fractionally softer cross would have given Salah an open goal.

70 min Wijnaldum gets away with a really late tackle, with his studs plunging into the side of Herrera’s leg.

69 min On 19 September 2004, Jose Mourinho coined the phrase “park the bus” to criticise Spurs’ tactics after a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge. Alanis Morissette would be amused by that.

68 min The impressive Gomez curves a fine pass out to Firmino on the left. He tries to cross low to Wijnaldum and Smalling gets a slight touch to divert the ball to De Gea.

67 min Salah beats Herrera with ease 25 yards from goal but screws his rising shot well wide of the far post. Salah and Coutinho have been really good for Liverpool.

65 min Liverpool have been much the better team in this half, though they will still fear a mugging. Manchester United have made their second change, with Marcus Rashford replacing the diligent and sporadically dangerous Martial.

63 min Lingard replaces the disappointing Mkhitaryan.

62 min The replay suggests Herrera was perhaps lucky to get away with that. He seemed to knock Coutinho’s left leg onto his right. It would have been a soft penalty but that doesn’t necessarily mean it would have been an incorrect decision. You can make a case both ways.

61 min Coutinho falls over a challenge just inside the area, prompting an appeal for a penalty that is turned down. It was a little clumsy from a couple of United players, thourh whether it was enough for a penalty I’m not sure.

60 min Liverpool break through Salah, who runs at Darmian and forces a corner. That was good defending from Darmian actually.

59 min United have a little respite with an extended spell of possession in the Liverpool half.

57 min Jesse Lingard is about to come on, presumably for either Martial or Mkhitaryan.

56 min An outstanding cross from Gomez, lofted from a deep, narrow position on the right, drops over Jones and is volleyed over from six yards by Can at the near post. It was a very good chance, although he was probably unsighted as it came over Jones’s head and he had to go at it with the outside of the left foot. It was such an imaginative ball from Gomez.

55 min Darmian adds depth to an increasingly poor performance with a foul throw.

53 min Coutinho surges forward from midfield and stabs a gorgeous through pass for Firmino, who is a couple of yards offside. De Gea saved his shot anyway.

52 min I don’t think it’ll be long before Mourinho makes an attacking change. He could hook any of them but I suspect it’ll be Mkhitaryan, who hasn’t been able to get in the game at all.

51 min United aren’t just stuck in their own half; they’re stuck in their own third. It’s been a brilliant start to the half from Liverpool, full of intent and energy.

50 min Another 50/50 decision goes against Ashley Young. Bom bom bom...

49 min Liverpool have started this half much faster than they did the first. Firmino whacks a shot from the left edge of the box that takes a deflection and hits the side netting at the near post. De Gea had it covered but it’s a corner for Liverpool...

47 min Jones plays a poor pass to Firmino, who finds Coutinho on the left. A promising attack ends instantly when Firmino is given offside from Coutinho’s return pass. I thought he looked onside but it was close.

46 min Peep peep! United begin the second half. I’m sure they would take 0-0 now, even if it would mean falling two points behind City. Liverpool can’t, won’t, shouldn’t settle for a draw.

That Lukaku flick at Lovren The more you see it, the harder it becomes to say with any certainty that he meant it. He may well have done, given the mood he’s in, but the tangle of legs was such that it certainly could have been an accident. Innocent collisions can often look bad, as Alan Shearer will confirm.

In defence of Lukaku “Rob,” says Francis Mead. “I’m not sure why you’re having a go at Lukaku (I’m sure you’ll clarify further but he’s feeding of absolute scraps - and I think he’s done well, playing almost on his own and unsupported - yes he could
have done better on his shot - but can you name a striker that never
missed a shot?”

Carlos Kaiser. As for Lukaku, I did say it wasn’t just his fault – Mkhitaryan has been anonymous, the service has been poor - but this is a huge game for him given the perception that he is a flat-track bully, and so far he hasn’t been good. When you do as little as he does in general play you need to take the big chances.

A shameless plug for my new podcast

What the world needs now is not, in fact, love, sweet love but a podcast about 80s and 90s football. It’s called Nessun Dorma, and the first episode is mainly about Italia 90: Gazza, Roger Milla, Benjamin Massing and, of course, Jack Charlton threatening to chin Frank Rijkaard.

There’s also a tribute to Peter Beardsley, a lament for the long-range header and respect for the superstar who used to go to McDonald’s every day before training for his breakfast. You can listen to it on the website or iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

45+1 min On reflection, Lukaku should have scored there - his shot was too close to Mignolet and at a good height for the keeper as well.

45 min Lovren falls over as he challenges Lukaku, who then catches him in the face with his heel. It’s hard to know on first viewing whether it was deliberate, but my instinct is that he might get a three-match ban for that. He has been on edge in the last 20 minutes and should have been booked earlier.

43 min Mignolet makes a terrific save from Lukaku! Out of nothing, United sliced through Liverpool with some brilliant one-touch passing from Martial and Lukaku on the edge of the area. Lukaku whacked a shot across goal from 15 yards and Mignolet flew to his left to palm it away. I think it was more a good save than a bad miss, though I’d like to see it again.

42 min Lovely play from Coutinho, who sits Herrera down before dancing into the area on the left. Eventually a defence takes the pace off his cross and it goes through to De Gea.

41 min Salah’s snapshot from the edge of the area is straight at De Gea, who holds on comfortably. Salah has been the best attacker on the pitch, albeit in the face of some cold competition.

39 min Games of this significance are usually only boring with hindsight. Even tedium can be engrossing when you are lost in the moment. All of which is to say that we’ll probably reflect on this as an intriguing but essentially dull half of football.

36 min Lukaku’s increasing frustration manifests itself in a poor tackle on Gomez, for which he’s exceptionally lucky not to be booked.

34 min De Gea makes a sensational save! When a Liverpool corner was half cleared, Firmino twisted Darmian inside out on the left of the box and crossed low to Matip at the near post. He adjusted his feet excellently to sidefoot towards goal from six yards, and De Gea adjusted his feet astonishingly to kick it away with his left foot. The ball came to Salah, who drove just wide of the far post. He should probably have scored. That is a ridiculous save from De Gea. Truly, I have never seen a goalkeeper with better reflexes.

33 min “Rob,” says Stephen Webb. “I recently bought a Mourinho-wool jumper. Looks stylish, but frays easily and completely unravels after three seasons...”

Does the jumper unravel, or does the wearer? Eh? Eh?

32 min Coutinho plays a poor pass straight to Mkhitaryan, whose 25-yard shot is blocked by Matip.

31 min Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford are having excellent games.

30 min Young’s right-wing cross is half-cleared to Matic, who carefully watches the ball bounce across him and swishes a terrific shot that beats Mignolet and just clears the bar.

29 min You don’t hear this phrase so often these days, but this might be a day for Daniel Sturridge.

28 min After a good first, er, five minutes, United have been really poor on the counter-attack. It’s easy to blame Lukaku but it’s not just his fault.

27 min “I think I caught a glimpse of Copestake’s tome,” says Bill Hargreaves. “It’s called ‘Fifty Shades of ManU Away Strip Grey’, a lively fictional work based around domination and scapegoating, co-penned with Sir Alex.”

26 min Salah and Firmino are constantly changing positions, with Salah really dangerous in the centre of the pitch. United break promisingly through Young, who seems to be tripped by Lovren and is furious when Martin Atkinson disagrees. A few 50/50 decisions have gone against Young today, and he is stomping round with Larry David levels of affronted confusion.

25 min “Stripped of Bailly et al, have there been many other games between two teams with so many great players, but with such pants defences?” says Matt Dony. “No matter how dull it is, there’s no way it can end 0-0, purely because of defensive ineptitude/hilarity. (Although, admittedly, it would be funnier if the ineptitude swung more in United’s direction.)”

24 min Lukaku has a few more touches, skinning Lovren on the right wing before overhitting his cross. That was much better, the final ball excepted.

24 min Romelu Lukaku has touched the ball once.

23 min Martial is fouled by Gomez just outside the area, in line with the left edge of the box. Young’s free-kick is poor and headed away by the first man Salah.

21 min “Big Rom looks bigger than ever in that kit and is doing his ‘digging a narrow trench down the middle of the pitch with his heat map’ routine - something familiar to Everton fans,” says Gary Naylor. “He’ll have the fewest touches on the pitch, complete the fewest passes... and score the winning goal. Old school numbernining.”

20 min Salah sparks another attack with a great run from the centre of the pitch. He finds Coutinho, who tries to take on Valencia in the area and is expertly dispossessed. Moments later, Moreno’s cross is half cleared by Jones and put back into the area by Firmino on the right. It deflects off Darmian and just escapes Salah at the near post. Liverpool are well on top at the moment. United can’t get out at all.

19 min United started this game up high up the pitch but now they are on the edge of their own area, often with Young and Martial as part of a back six.

18 min Salah beats Jones on the edge of the area with a Zidane roulette and then goes over a challenge from Darmian I think. Martin Atkinson says play on.

16 min Firmino plays a fine angled pass to Gomez, whose low cross-shot is blocked by the recovering Martial. Liverpool are starting to pin United back. United need a bit more from Lukaku.

14 min Salah zips away from Matic and Herrera like a lizard between rocks before finding Wijnaldum, who shapes a left-footed curler towards goal from 20 yards. De Gea plunges to his right to make a comfortable save.

13 min Gary Neville makes the excellent point that Liverpool’s passing so far has been a bit sluggish, certainly by their standards. Louis van Gaal is at Anfield today, and he’ll be enjoying the Liverpool performance.

12 min United have had a few promising counter-attacks, though they have lacked concentration in the final third. It’s cagey interesting rather than cagey crap.

10 min After an open start the match is starting to settle down, with Liverpool having a lot of the ball. Matip marches forward from the halfway line like Alan Hansen only to drive high over the bar from 25 yards.

8 min “Great close-up footage of crowd singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,’” says Dean Kinsella. “Really giving the feeling of being there. Well done Sky.”

This is the thing with the modern world. Half the time I genuinely don’t know whether somebody is being sarcastic.

6 min Young plays an early low cross to Lukaku that is cut out well by the sliding Lovren. Liverpool break through Wijnaldum, who finds Firmino down the left and continues his run. Firmino crosses low towards the near post and Wijnaldum, under a lot of pressure from Smalling, stabs straight at De Gea. It was only a quarter-chance.

5 min Liverpool enjoy their first extended spell of possession. Coutinho has already wandered infield a lot. Believe it or not, this is fascinating tactically.

4 min United have started positively, pressing much higher up the pitch than many expected.

3 min “I am having to miss this game due to a hamstring injur ... because I have a big book deal to land at the Frankfurt Book Fair!” says Ian Copestake. “So could you keep it quiet and not announce the result all over the internet till I get home? Thanks, mate.”

Don’t just tease us like that, Copestake. What’s the book? 101 Nadirs to Do Before You Die?

2 min Valencia surges down the right to win an early corner for United. Just before that, Young was unhappy with a tackle from Henderson. Mkhitaryan’s corner is put behind for another by Wijnaldum. It’s cleared to Darmian, who shoots well wide from 35 yards.

1 min United have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Young on the right wing and Darmian at left back.

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in red, kick off. United are in their grey away strip.

The players emerge from the tunnel, all with their business faces on. The atmosphere is pretty great.

“Don’t swim Paul!” says Nuwan Alahakoon. “It should be fun. I can’t imagine better stand-up comedians than Smalling and Jones. I am gonna bet $100 that a fly will go inside Jones’ open mouth.”

Another plug

“The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support a show (a musical, no less) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ipswich Town’s most, er, recent FA Cup win,” writes Philip Genochio. “Called “Our Blue Heaven”, the show will use people’s stories and recollections of the momentous day to create something befitting Bobby Robson’s flying team of blue-shirted footballing geniuses.

“The Indigogo page is here, and, if nothing else, you can marvel at the lovingly titled list of offers available to generous souls you have fond memories of a victory that represents 33% of the stars that hover over the club badge. More details - and how to share any memories with the production team - on the Wolsey’s website here.”

“I subscribed to your pod, Rob,” says Paul Neilan. “First impression: In the 45 seconds it took, I confirmed my humanity and that I was not a robot, something Blade Runner and 2049 struggled with for four and a half hours of film and three decades of hand-wringing. Promising.”

Also, Gary Naylor and I are marginally hunkier than Ryan Gosling, so it’s a win-win.

A shameless plug for my new podcast

What the world needs now is not, in fact, love, sweet love but a podcast about 80s and 90s football. It’s called Nessun Dorma, and the first episode is mainly about Italia 90: Gazza, Roger Milla, Benjamin Massing and, of course, Jack Charlton threatening to chin Frank Rijkaard.

There’s also a tribute to Peter Beardsley, a lament for the long-range header and respect for the superstar who used to go to McDonald’s every day before training for his breakfast. You can listen to it on the website or iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Down the years, this fixture has had everything: darts, CS gas, cigars and even a bit of creative genius from Gary Neville.

There is a suggestion that United will play 3-4-2-1: De Gea; Smalling, Jones, Darmian; Valencia, Herrera, Matic, Young; Mkhitaryan, Martial; Lukaku.

An email! “All set to watch the game in Brazil,” says Paul Moody, “but do I take a swim in the ocean before or after or both.”

If it’s anything like last season’s game at Anfield, I’d say during the game is your best option. But it really should be better this year. Should.

Some pre-match reading