Mo Salah says 'this is my last year at the club' after helping Liverpool ...

But the Uruguay international’s arrival looked timed a match too late after a horror show from Casemiro cost United three points against Liverpool yesterday.

The Brazilian's performance highlighted why United felt compelled to give PSG £42million for the midfielder with his two calamitous mistakes effectively settling this match in eight first half minutes, both goals taken well by Luiz Diaz.

A third from Kobbie Mainoo led to Liverpool’s third for Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian’s third of what he says will be his final season at Anfield.

"This is my last year at the club. I just want to enjoy it and I don't want to think about it but I feel I'm free to play football and we will see what happens next year," Salah told Sky Sports shortly after full time.

"So far it's may last game here for Liverpool. It's not up to me, nobody has talked to me from the club but we will see."

Whether Ugarte would have made the difference on an afternoon when Liverpool were by far the better side is moot. But Erik ten Hag certainly has to hope so.

Because on the evidence of a match which Liverpool dominated, the gap between these two sides has grown markedly over the summer.

It is now one win in three for United who looked ragged and overwhelmed throughout. In contrast it is now three from three for Liverpool who moved level with Manchester City at the top of the table.

A desperately slow-burning affair had been ignited by Casemiro’s blunders.

Liverpool thought they had the lead after six minutes, a goal ruled out for an offside by Mohamed Salah in the build up.

But Casemiro’s first intervention changed the direction of the game when a loose pass in the midfield picked off by Ryan Gravenberch, the Dutchman surging, Salah overlapping and crossing to the far post where Diaz headed home.

United might have levelled matters Noussair Mazraoui’s shot saved a little unconvincingly by Alisson but Casemiro’s second, and as it turned out last act, saw Liverpool double the lead.

Just eight minutes after his first blunder he was nudged easily off the ball by Diaz. The ball fell to Alexis MacAllister who picked out Salah on right who delivered back to Diaz, who despatched the return low between Andre Onana’s left hand and the near post.

It was no surprise that the Brazilian did not appear after the break, and telling his place in the middle taken by 20-year-old academy prospect Toby Collyer.

Yet it was a mistake from the other midfield pivot, Kobbie Mainoo, 11 minutes which wrapped up the three points for Arne Slot’s side.

Mainoo had done well during the first period but mistakes started had to creep in and, when he was dispossessed by Mac Allister on United’s right flank, this one proved critical, Dominik Szoboszlai getting the ball quickly to Salah who hammered a left foot shot home from just inside the area.

As Old Trafford stirred angrily, United did have chances to drag it back in their favour. Joshua Zirkzee, on a forgettable home debut spurned two golden chances from close range, the first headed straight at Alisson and the second managing to hook Marcus Rashford’s lofted set up wide from five yards out on the angle.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana 5; Mazraoui 6, De Ligt 6 (Maguire 69), Martinez 6, Dalot 7; Casemiro 3 (Collyer 46 5), Mainoo 8; Garnacho 5 (Amad 69), Fernandes 6, Rashford 6; Zirkzee 4 (Eriksen 86).

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 7 (Bradley 75), Konate 6, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 7 (Tsimikas 83), Gravenberch 8, Mac Allister 7; Salah 8, Szoboszlai 8, Diaz 9 (Gakpo 66); Jota 6 (Nunez 75)

Referee: Anthony Taylor 8.