Andy Robertson described Liverpool's start to the season as "really poor" after the Reds failed to win any of their opening three league games for the first time in 10 years, insisting better results "need to come quickly".
Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford handed Erik ten Hag his first league win as Manchester United boss at Liverpool's expense on Monday, as the Red Devils prevailed 2-1 behind a much-improved performance after losing their previous two games.
The defeat was Liverpool's first in the Premier League in 2022, with Jurgen Klopp's side having previously won 16 and drawn five of their league games this calendar year.
After coming from behind to claim draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace prior to visiting Old Trafford, Liverpool have now failed to win their first three games of a league campaign for the first time since Brendan Rodgers was at the helm in 2012-13.
Left-back Robertson knows Liverpool need to improve sharply, telling Sky Sports: "It's definitely not been the start to the season that we wanted, it's been really poor.
"We give every team a goal start which is the basis of the game, you can’t keep on giving yourself an uphill battle.
"We've conceded an early goal again, we've started slow again and that's what needs to change. We can't keep going one behind. Probably in the warm-up it was the quietest I have ever heard this stadium – they wanted something to lift them and we unfortunately gave them it and then they obviously got behind their team.
"Two points from nine is not the start that we wanted. We need to pick up our performances individually and collectively very quickly. We need to kickstart our season, that's for sure."
Having gone close to winning an unprecedented quadruple last campaign, Liverpool are already five points adrift of title favourites Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's men made an unbeaten start.
While Robertson insists the title race is not on Liverpool's minds, he knows there is little room for error moving forward, adding: "It's early on in the season but even if we were at the top of the league we wouldn't be thinking about the title race.
"We've always been consistent with that every season, you don't really think about it until you get closer to see where everyone's at.
"The start of the season is always a bit messy where you just try to find your feet. This season we haven't done it and yeah, we're not thinking about that.
"We need to get our first win on the board. We need to try to get ahead first in the game and try to put in a good performance, get our first clean sheet and get back to our basics.
"And if we can do that, that's the only way we will win games, it's as simple as that. We've always been a hard-working team, we've always been honest, we've always been passionate.
"We need to keep doing that, but we also need to be clinical in both boxes and if we do that I believe the results will come. But they need to come quickly."
Klopp echoed those sentiments in his post-match news conference, ruing Liverpool's injury problems but acknowledging they should be performing to a higher level.
"It's not the nicest thing to look at, that's clear, but it's our situation. Look, we can talk about all the things but in the end I saw tonight a game," Klopp said.
"So, during the week it is not easy because we have 15 senior outfield players, I think, in training. That's obviously not cool. But for the game tonight, I liked the line-up, saw good performances as well tonight.
"So, our situation is how it is. It's not perfect but good enough to play better tonight, and I think our situation is good enough that we could've won the game tonight if we would have played slightly better."
Klopp moved to play down his post-match confrontation with Bruno Fernandes after appearing frustrated by perceived simulation from United, adding: "It was not animated. It was the most harmless conversation I ever had, with a player who is as emotional as I maybe was!
"It was the situation with the centre-half, [Lisandro] Martinez, when he went down. He was talking to me and said, 'You would do the same', but I said, 'No, I cannot fall like this'.
"It was all fine after the game, he told me he needs these kind of conversations during the game and so I said, 'Fine, use me!'."
Aaron Judge plundered a 47th home run of the season as the New York Yankees bounced back to form with a 4-2 Subway Series win over the New York Mets.
The Yankees had gone 6-14 in August prior to Monday's derby and the pressure seemed to be on.
Manager Aaron Boone had received the backing of GM Brian Cashman ahead of the first game of the series, but the Yankees needed a big performance after a run of 14 losses in 18 games.
Up stepped Judge, whose dispatching of a Max Scherzer fastball ended a nine-game homerless streak and set the Yankees on their way to a second successive win on the back of three straight defeats to the Toronto Blue Jays. The turnaround began with a 4-2 win in the fourth game against Toronto.
Judge is closing in on Roger Maris' single-season American League record of 61 home runs, set in 1961, though he claimed to be unaware of that prospect.
"It's news to me," said Judge, who has nine homers in 20 games against the Mets and is 13 clear of next-best Kyle Schwarber across all MLB players when it comes to round trips this season. "I really don't worry about that. I was just happy to barrel something up and add to the lead that we already had against one of the best pitchers in the game.
"We've got a special group of individuals that are mentally tough enough to bounce back. It's a long season and we haven't been playing the type of ball we want to. It's time to get back to what we do."
Subway Series debutant Andrew Benintendi picked up the mantle in the later innings, and said: "To string together a couple of wins in a row against two really good pitchers, your confidence can really go up."
Daniel Vogelbach went deep for the Mets, smashing a huge two-run homer beyond the fence and into the crowd, while the Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga pitched brilliantly alongside Ron Marinaccio.
Philadelphia hit back
The Mets went into the clash in the Bronx after three wins out of four against the Philadelphia Phillies, who responded to that disappointing run by comfortably dispatching the Cincinnati Bengals 4-1.
Noah Syndergaard (8-8) allowed one run on three hits with one strikeout and two walks, as the pitcher continued his fine start to life with the Phillies following his move from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, while Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott both homered.
"Noah threw the ball well like he's been doing for us, and we hit the ball," Stott said, while Syndergaard added: "My time here so far has been amazing. I feel like I'm on cloud nine."
Dodgers blanked at home
The Los Angeles Dodgers do not tend to draw blanks at home. Indeed, they were on a nine-game winning streak at Dodger Stadium, yet that run came to a shuddering halt at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, who cruised to a 4-0 triumph.
The Dodgers, who had won five of their last seven, including two successes against the Brewers last week, were blanked for a sixth time this season, but it is the first time they have failed to score on home turf in 2022.
Eric Lauer was on top form for the Brewers, claiming two strikeouts and two walk-outs, while Willy Adames, Christian Yelich, Luis Urias and Keston Hiura got the runs, with Milwaukee now 34-32 on the road for the season.
Dominic Thiem defeated J.J. Wolf to set up a showdown with top seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Winston-Salem Open.
Thiem showed signs of returning to his best with runs to the last eight or better in three tournaments in July, but the 2020 US Open winner was in danger of falling at the first hurdle in North Carolina when he lost the first set against the American wildcard.
But Thiem, a debutant in the competition, bounced back, and after a long rain delay he prevailed 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (8-6), and he will now face Dimitrov, who is seeking a first trophy since 2017.
The Austrian had to save two match points during a last-set tie-break, and said afterwards: "First of all I'm super happy to get that win, [my] first win on hard courts since a very long time, since March 2021, I guess.
"It was not easy at all today with the rain delay, coming back out there at 11:15 p.m. It was very late. I had trouble [getting] into the match again.
"But luckily I raised the level a little bit in the third-set tie-break and compared to Kitzbuhel, where similar stuff happened with the rain, the luck was on my side today."
Second seed Botic van de Zandschulp also learned of his last-32 opponent on Monday, with Tallon Griekspoor beating fellow lucky loser Taro Daniel 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
Last year's beaten finalist Mikael Ymer ensured a safe passage through, meanwhile, thanks to a 6-2 6-3 victory against Federico Coria.
Australia's James Duckworth also advanced with a 4-6 6-3 7-5 (7-5) comeback win over compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis, while Kyle Edmund saw off Michail Pervolarakis 6-2 7-5.
Sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili was a big-name exit, as he went down to Thiago Monteiro.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles explained Tom Brady's return to training camp after a planned absence has been a seamless one.
Brady left training camp on August 11 for an absence Bowles said was planned in advance so he could "deal with some personal things".
The seven-time Super Bowl champion returned to practice on Monday, as the Bucs step up their preseason preparations ahead of the new NFL campaign.
"Anytime you have all your guys back you feel good, you know, especially after the injury bug has hit lately. We're happy to have him back," Bowles told reporters.
Asked if Brady's attitude was a problem, or if his absence had in any way proved a distraction for the team, Bowles said: "He's been great. He's been great, same as when he left. He's been fine.
"We pretty much keep distractions out of our locker room. It wasn't a big deal to us because everybody knew what was going on."
As for what Brady has missed over the course of his break, Bowles added: "Probably just conditioning for the most part. He's a film junkie – I'm sure he's watched tape of everything.
"So [it's] him coming back in, picking up where he left off, just getting used to the mechanics again.
"He's very familiar with the offense, so him coming back in and us getting back to work is kind of normal. Just getting used to the heat and getting used to the guys, but he ran the offense well."
Bowles might not believe Brady's team-mates were in any way distracted, but tight end Cameron Brate conceded it was "weird" not to have the 45-year-old around.
"It was definitely weird," Brate said. "Tom is such an omnipresent being, he's like the unquestioned leader of the team. For him to not be there for 11 days it was kind of a good opportunity for other guys to step up and fill that void.
"It was different, Tom is usually kind of cussing guys up and down the field when we're messing up, but we didn't really have that. It was different, but I thought some of the other veterans stepped up. I thought Blaine [Gabbert] did a good job commanding the first team offense while Tom was out.
!I'm sure wherever Tom was, he was working out still and getting his reps in. If anyone can get away with an 11-day break during training camp, it's Tom. He came back firing on all cylinders. We are all excited he's back, and we are ready to move on with that."
Manchester United supporter Stormzy believes Cristiano Ronaldo's future should be out of the spotlight, as he urged fans and media to "let the GOATs be the GOATs".
United claimed their first win of the season by defeating rivals Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford on Monday in impressive fashion.
With new signing Casemiro having been paraded on the pitch before kick-off, Erik ten Hag's team bounced back from the 4-0 hammering at Brentford in style, and were deservedly in control at 2-0 through goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
The latter, who ended a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for United, has scored five league goals against Liverpool, a tally he betters only against Leicester City (six) in the competition, and it was Rashford who Ten Hag picked to lead United's line instead of Ronaldo.
Ten Hag stressed the need for energy as the reasoning behind his decision, with Ronaldo coming on from the bench in the 86th minute, shortly after Mohamed Salah had pulled Liverpool back into the contest.
Ronaldo's future remains uncertain and with United not back at Old Trafford until September 4, three days after the close of the transfer window, it could mean he has played his final home game for the club.
But rapper, singer and songwriter Stormzy, who was in attendance on Monday, wants Ronaldo to be respected as one of the greatest of all time.
"That was amazing, that’s the best we've been this season, the best we've been for a long time," said Stormzy in a pitch-side interview on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.
Of Ronaldo, he said: "When they're that great, you can't speak on them, man, you've just got to let the man be great.
"As much as there's been a bit of a fuss, that's a GOAT. You've got to let the GOATs be the GOATs."
United's victory saw Ten Hag become the club's first manager to secure his first ever competitive win with the club in a match against Liverpool, who have failed to win any of their first three games of a Premier League campaign for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin claimed her first victory since January at Tennis in the Land on Monday.
Kenin, who has struggled mightily with illness and injury since her triumph in Melbourne in 2020, has seen her ranking drop to 415 in the world.
She had lost her last nine matches but was back to winning ways in Cleveland, where Kenin earned a 6-4 6-3 win over qualifier Dalayna Hewitt in an all-American clash.
Bernarda Pera and Madison Brengle gave the home fans plenty to cheer about with first-round victories, while Lauren Davis came up short in three sets against third seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Seeds Martina Trevisan, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Alize Cornet all sealed wins, the latter thrashing Dayana Yastremska for the loss of just three games.
At the Granby Championships, top seed Daria Kasatkina had to come from a set down to beat Greet Minnen 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-2 in just under three hours.
Seventh seed Kaja Juvan lost to 17-year-old Cadence Brace but seeds Jasmine Paolini, Anna Bondar, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Tereza Martincova and Marta Kostyuk all emerged victorious.
Bruno Fernandes hinted he is aware of where Cristiano Ronaldo intends to play his football beyond this transfer window and says his team-mate's decision must be respected.
Ronaldo's Manchester United future continues to be a hot topic of discussion after being named among the substitutes for Monday's 2-1 win over Liverpool.
The 37-year-old, who came on for the final four minutes at Old Trafford, has now been left out of the starting line-up for two of United's opening three games under Erik ten Hag.
A number of clubs continue to be linked with Ronaldo ahead of next week's transfer deadline, with the forward reportedly seeking a team playing in the Champions League.
And close friend Fernandes will be happy for his Portuguese compatriot regardless of whether he stays or leaves Old Trafford after just a year back at the club.
"There is a lot of speculation, but there is no one better than Cristiano to talk about it," Fernandes told Eleven Sports. "I may know a thing or two, but I won't be the one to say it.
"Cristiano is calm. He worked well this week and did the work he has been doing, which he will continue to do so.
"For now he is a United player. I don't know if he will leave or if he will not leave. As he said, he will speak soon and they will have time to hear his words and what he has to say.
"I don't think anyone has shown so far that there was no interest in Cristiano not staying. He can continue at a high level and give us a lot of goals but it's his decision.
"We have to respect what he wants to do, whatever he wants to do.
"If he's going to stay, we'll be happy about it; if he's going to leave because he thinks it's best for him, I'll be personally happy for him.
"The most important thing is that he's okay, playing at the highest level and making our country proud."
Ronaldo has played just 131 minutes across the first three matches this season – the 13th most of all United players – following on from a disrupted pre-season campaign.
The 24 goals Ronaldo scored in all competitions in 2021-22 were 14 more than next-best Fernandes, with no other United player reaching double-figures in a dire season.
Ten Hag made another huge selection call against Liverpool by omitting skipper Harry Maguire, but the Dutchman suggested both players still have a part to play.
"The demand is for everyone, including the manager," Ten Hag said when asked about the pair at his post-match press conference.
"We have to deliver. You have an obligation to the club, to the fans. This is a massive club with a huge fanbase, and we have to deliver that.
"We have to act as a team, and every individual, every day, has to give their best. That is the demand for the manager and also for the team."
Asked specifically about Ronaldo, Ten Hag said: "In his career, under several managers, he has [adapted] to styles and systems. He's always performed, so why not again?"
When pointed out that Ronaldo will turn 38 before the end of the season, Ten Hag responded: "And? His age is not an issue.
"If you are young, you are good enough; when you are old, if you still deliver the performance, you are also good enough."
Jamie Carragher says Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United is "a big worry" as the Reds' winless start to the Premier League season stretched to a third match.
A 16th-minute goal from Jadon Sancho put United into an early lead before Marcus Rashford added a second eight minutes into the second half.
Mohamed Salah got a goal back for Liverpool with nine minutes remaining, but the hosts held on to claim a memorable victory.
Defeat for Liverpool at Old Trafford means they are down in 16th in the embryonic table, already seven points off early pacesetters Arsenal and five adrift of Manchester City.
Liverpool have now conceded the first goal in their last seven consecutive Premier League games, and Carragher is concerned by what he saw from his former side.
"Today is a big worry," he told Sky Sports. "It's not the result – you can come to Manchester United and lose, it's a tough place to come.
"But it was the manner of the way they started the game, a derby game. Manchester United, it was obvious how they were going to start the game.
"They had to start the first 15, 20 minutes like their lives depended on it and get this crowd involved. And they did. And it was like Liverpool weren't ready."
Left-back Andy Robertson bemoaned his side's poor first-half showing as Liverpool suffered a first league loss of 2022.
"It’s definitely not been the start of the season we wanted – we've been really poor," he told Sky Sports.
"We give every team a goal headstart, which is the base of the game. You can't keep giving yourself an uphill battle.
"We've conceded an early goal again, started slow again, and that's what needs to change.
"The warm-up is probably the quietest I've ever heard this stadium. They wanted something to lift them, and we unfortunately gave them it."
Jurgen Klopp is "concerned" by Liverpool's winless start to the Premier League campaign, but he suggested his side only needed to be "a little bit better" to beat Manchester United in Monday's 2-1 loss.
Liverpool followed up surprise draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace in their opening two games with defeat to fierce rivals United at Old Trafford.
Mohamed Salah pulled a goal back in the 81st minute, but strikes from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were enough to give Erik ten Hag his first win in charge of United.
It marks the first time since the 2012-13 season under Brendan Rodgers that Liverpool have failed to win any of their opening three Premier League fixtures.
With his side a lowly 16th at this early stage with two points from a possible nine – and already five points adrift of Manchester City – Klopp accepts a big turnaround is required.
"I am concerned about our situation, but that is how it is. We deal with it and we prepare now for Bournemouth, then Newcastle, then Everton," he told Sky Sports.
Liverpool looked particularly sloppy in a defensive sense at Old Trafford, where they finished with an expected goals return of 1.39 compared to United's 1.67.
The visitors had more shots on target (five to four), though, while also dominating the possession with 70.2 per cent of the ball, albeit with United dropping off when two goals up.
And after seeing his injury-plagued side suffer a first defeat in 22 league games in a run stretching back to last December, Klopp felt only fine margins denied his side.
"We are in a tricky situation injury wise – we got through the week with 14 or 15 senior players available, and we have to make sure they don't get injured now," the German said.
"Even with our situation, with being a little bit better, we should have won this game. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that is how I saw it."
He added: "They were really aggressive in the beginning – it was clear what would happen. They were more aggressive than us, and they hit the post early on. It was a hectic game.
"They had the first chance and scored the goal, and then we took over and played the game we wanted to play more or less. We were unlucky with situations.
"In a game like this, against an opponent like United, it would be very helpful if we could score in this moment and go 1-1 at half time.
"The second goal does not help, then we score ours and it was a hectic game with a lot of interruptions, stuff like this. It was definitely not the result we wanted."
Klopp continued: "When we calmed down, we were immediately there; we had an extreme number of shots for an away game at United. We should have used more of those moments, obviously.
"In the second half, there was a fantastic save of [David] De Gea, and we were unlucky in other situations.. If you score in a moment like this, then the game turns and we were there for that, but then we did not have enough time or power in the end."
Liverpool host Bournemouth and Newcastle United in their next two games, and Klopp vowed his side would show a response at Anfield.
"We want to play the football we are able to play, and we want to fight," he told BBC Sport. "We have a good home game on Saturday and Anfield has to be rocking.
"We have to set the fire and the rhythm. We will try absolutely everything that every Liverpool supporter will expect – we will fight for our lives."
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag lauded his players' "attitude" and "fighting spirit" after their much-needed 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were enough to hold off United's bitter rivals and earn their first points of the Premier League season, despite an 81st-minute Mohamed Salah header causing a few late nerves.
Victory lifts United above Liverpool in the primitive league table, with the Reds still winless.
United had been the side under more pressure heading into the match following a 4-0 reverse at Brentford last week, but Ten Hag masterminded an impressive turnaround – one he attributed to his team's approach to the game.
"We can talk about tactical, but it's all about attitude," Ten Hag told Sky Sports.
"Now you see we bring attitude on the pitch; there was communication, there was fighting spirit. You see what they can achieve.
"I wanted a different approach, I wanted a different attitude, and that is what they bring on the pitch. That is what makes me satisfied, but it is only the start. We have to keep humble, and I think we can play much better if we have a little more composure, give an extra pass.
"We have to act and make sure you are a team and battle, and also be brave. Give each other options when we have the ball, so it’s not only about spirit."
A perceived lack of effort – seemingly proven by tracking data that showed Brentford had outrun United – was a chief concern for Ten Hag's side, so the manager was questioned about their improvement in that regard.
"I was happy with it, but you have to bring it every game, not only one game," he replied.
"Of course, we are happy; I know the rivalry against Liverpool. But don't only bring it against Liverpool.
"Every Premier League game is difficult, so you have to bring it in every game, this organisation and this intensity, and it starts again with spirit."
Ten Hag made the decision to leave last season's top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo and captain Harry Maguire out of the starting line-up, but he assured they would be back in the fold in upcoming games.
"I have decisions to make. I have a squad, and we have to use the squad," Ten Hag added.
"We will play 50, 60 games, so game-to-game we will see what team we have to pick. I don't have to mention Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo, they are amazing players and they will play a role in future."
Gary Neville was enthused by a Manchester United performance he "didn't think was possible" as they defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford on Monday.
The former United captain said he could not believe how the hugely anticipated game unfolded, with the Red Devils stopping the rot at the start of Erik ten Hag's tenure.
United had lost their opening two Premier League games under their new manager, at home to Brighton and Hove Albion and away to Brentford, to prompt talk of crisis.
Yet goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford lifted Ten Hag's men above Liverpool, who underwhelmed and are now still waiting for their own first win of the league season.
Neville had fumed at United's display in the 4-0 thrashing at Brentford nine days earlier, but he was suddenly full of optimism after the win at Old Trafford.
"I'm absolutely stunned, to be honest with you," he said in his role as a Sky Sports pundit. "I didn't think that was possible, tonight, what I saw, in terms of response.
"I thought the players had cemented what they do now over many months at the end of last season, the start of this season.
"What's happened this week I don't know, but they've responded. Maybe the slight changes in personnel, making brave decisions...
"The captain [Harry Maguire], the star player [Cristiano Ronaldo] have both been left on the bench. That means the manager just gains a little bit of gravitas, maybe, with other players.
"Bruno [Fernandes] has responded; I think [Lisandro] Martinez at the back has played well alongside [Raphael] Varane. I don't know what it is, but I can't believe what I've just witnessed.
"Liverpool weren't at their best, let's be clear, but they weren't at their best against Crystal Palace and Fulham.
"It was just the effort difference that we saw from Manchester United; they've outrun Liverpool, they've outsprinted Liverpool.
"We've questioned that a number of times over the last 12 months, that they're not capable of doing it, and they've shown tonight that they are capable of doing it."
Marcus Rashford said the "energy" Manchester United produced was the difference in a "massive" 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday.
United responded to a 4-0 thrashing at Brentford by securing a first Premier League win under Erik ten Hag at the expense of their fierce rivals at Old Trafford.
Jadon Sancho opened the scoring with a composed first-half finish and Rashford doubled the Red Devils' lead with his first goal in a competitive match since January 22.
Mohamed Salah pulled one back but United held on for a deserved victory to lift the gloom following pre-match protests against owners the Glazer family, with new signing Casemiro watching on.
United showed a lack of fight when they were blown away at Brentford and Rashford felt they were rewarded for the desire they showed nine days later.
He told Sky Sports: "It's a massive game for the club – no matter the circumstances you are in. To get the win is massive.
"The difference was energy. We started at a high tempo. We were tired at the end as they got a goal back but we stuck at it and we didn't fold. It was an enjoyable game to play in.
"It was a goal I've scored quite regularly so it was important get that type of goal. I felt I was in good positions and areas today – on another day I could have had a few more goals. I've just got to keep working hard."
Winger Sancho says United must ensure they maintain the standards they set against Jurgen Klopp's side.
"It means a lot. Our first two games didn't go so well and had it turn it around today," he said.
"Last week hurt a lot and we knew we had to bounce back and tonight we showed the fans what we can do."
He added: "It means a lot to all of us, you can see how the fans are reacting. We got the three points but on to the next one.
"We just have to produce like today in every single game. Happy we got the three points and we move on."
Through the first two rounds of Premier League fixtures, there had been no case for Manchester United's defence. At Old Trafford on Monday, Liverpool's went completely missing.
A week is a long time in football, to use the most fatigued of tired cliches. United had just over a week to stew over their 4-0 humbling at Brentford, during which there was no shortage of talk about another prospective hammering from Jurgen Klopp's consistently merciless Reds.
Yet after United pressed and harried their way to a surprise 2-1 win in front of a raucous home crowd whipped up by the latest round of protests against the Glazer family's ownership of the club, it will surely be Liverpool who has to face headlines pointing to a crisis among a group of players who have set such remarkable standards in the recent years of Klopp's tenure.
It would be an exaggeration to label Liverpool as a team in crisis – they were without nine first-team players for this derby – but, as the persistent squabbles between Virgil van Dijk and James Milner illustrated, there are certainly problems to fix at the back.
Though the focus may have been on their public disagreements, the first of which came after Jadon Sancho produced composure that has been largely lacking since his move from Borussia Dortmund to put United 1-0 up in the 16th minute, in the aftermath of this game there is more likely to be scrutiny on the performance of the defender to Van Dijk's right.
While Van Dijk was partly at fault for the opener after failing to close down Sancho, it was a goal that was a direct consequence of the frequent success United enjoyed when attacking Trent Alexander-Arnold.
To blame in part for the first goal, Alexander-Arnold was tormented by Anthony Elanga in the first half and had a similarly torrid time when Marcus Rashford switched to the left flank for the second. It was Rashford who doubled United's lead, ending a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for United by coolly finishing after a counter-attack with Alexander-Arnold conspicuous by his absence.
Alexander-Arnold, regularly maligned for his defensive deficiencies, conceded two fouls and lost possession a game-high 24 times in a performance to swiftly banish from the memory.
Yet to point the finger squarely at him would be to ignore the struggles of those in front of him. Milner, who won under half of his 16 duels, and Jordan Henderson offered little in the way of control or protection for the Liverpool backline. Both were eventually withdrawn in the second half, injury robbing Klopp of the opportunity to introduce a clearly desperately needed Thiago Alcantara.
To focus on Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool's failings would also do a disservice to the impressive nature of United's display.
Scott McTominay, with Casemiro, his new team-mate in the engine room, watching on, was sublime in midfield, his 10th-minute through ball for Bruno Fernandes deserving of a goal that the right-hand post denied Elanga.
Fernandes, forlorn in the two opening defeats, had nine final-third entries, more than any other United player. Rashford, meanwhile, was a player rejuvenated, recording five of United's 12 shots.
At the back, Lisandro Martinez brushed off jokes and questions about his diminutive stature to deliver an all-action showing that featured three blocks, including one clearance off the line to prevent a Fernandes own goal, while left-back Tyrell Malacia's five tackles were the most of any player.
For all the standout displays, United could not stop Mohamed Salah from fraying the nerves with a header after David de Gea denied Fabio Carvalho.
Yet the fact United did not allow that setback to spark a collapse is testament to the speedy turnaround Erik ten Hag – who became the first Red Devils boss to secure his maiden competitive win against Liverpool – engineered in the wake of their meek surrender at Brentford.
Klopp will almost certainly dismiss any crisis talk about a team who suffered their first defeat in 22 Premier League games and have failed to win their first three Premier League games for the first time since 2012-13. However, after seeing his side concede the first goal for the seventh successive league fixture and fail to recover, Klopp must find solutions that have the same impact of those Ten Hag discovered in the compelling latest chapter of this great rivalry.
Manchester United earned a deserved 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford to kickstart the Erik ten Hag era and leave their rivals winless after three Premier League games.
Ten Hag elected to drop Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire following successive losses to begin the campaign, a decision that was rewarded by a much-improved display.
An incisive move culminated in Sancho calmly slotting past Alisson after 16 minutes as Liverpool conceded first in a club-record seventh consecutive Premier League game.
Marcus Rashford's goal early in the second half gave United breathing space prior to Mohamed Salah's header nine minutes from time, which proved a mere consolation.
The hosts' first-half display was in complete contrast to their 4-0 loss at Brentford, with Anthony Elanga – preferred to Ronaldo – striking the post early on with just Alisson to beat.
United were ahead soon after when Sancho collected Elanga's pass, fooled James Milner and Alisson with a dummy and found the bottom-left corner from the first shot on target.
Liverpool struggled to get going but nearly levelled before half-time in bizarre circumstances as Bruno Fernandes miscued a clearance against Lisandro Martinez on the goal-line.
With Old Trafford rocking, despite threats of a walk out in protest at the club's owners, half-time substitute Anthony Martial played in Rashford on the counter for United's second.
Rashford was denied another by a good Alisson save, while David de Gea kept out Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino before Salah's nodded in after United failed to deal with a corner.
Despite some late pressure from Liverpool, the home side – perhaps fortunate not to see Fernandes sent off following a kerfuffle after Salah's goal – held on for a massive victory.
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