A giant yellow gritter patrolled the car parks around Anfield on Sunday afternoon and banks of snow lined the touchlines inside the stadium as rain and sleet steadily fell in the bitter cold of a January battle between England’s football giants.

There have been times in the past decade or more when supporting Manchester United must have felt like being trapped in endless winter as they chase former glories but on this occasion, at least, Ruben Amorim and his team played as if they were dancing in the sunshine.

United had come into the game with Amorim saying that they were ‘afraid’ and on a run that was breaking new records for defeats and mediocrity. They resembled a rabble in their defeat to Newcastle last week as they were sucked into a relegation battle.

Most expected them to be cut to pieces by a Liverpool team that is racing away with the title but a different United turned up instead. Amorim had called for leaders in his team and in this rousing, relentless, end-to-end 2-2 draw, he got a whole bunch of them.

Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo were immense in midfield, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt were heroic at the back and Amad Diallo scored another goal in another big game. When they went behind in the second half, United refused to buckle.

Ipswich Town’s draw at Fulham earlier in the afternoon meant United had started the game only six points above the bottom three but if they play anything like this in their remaining fixtures, they will move steadily away from any hint of danger.

Manchester United fought back to clinch a point at Liverpool after Amad Diallo’s equaliser

Mohamed Salah slotted home a cool penalty to fire the league leaders ahead at Anfield

But Diallo forced a share of the spoils after touching in Alejandro Garnacho’s low cross

Amorim ‘the only guy upset with the team’ after draw with Liverpool

Matthijs de Ligt was penalised for a handball after referee Michael Oliver consulted his monitor

Salah’s spot-kick completed the comeback after struggling Man United took a shock lead

Cody Gakpo slammed into the roof of the net just seven minutes after United went in front

Lisandro Martinez was the unlikely hero for the visitors after he finished from a tight angle

The defender fired over the head of Alisson after latching onto Bruno Fernandes’ pass

Reprieved, United nearly scored with their first attack. Diogo Dalot beat offside and escaped down the left. He curled a cross over for Amad Diallo, who was alone in the centre, but Dalot’s cross was just behind Diallo, who could only direct his header away from goal.

Gravenberch produced a beautiful piece of skill to let the ball run across him and ease away from Mainoo midway inside the United half. He took a few steps forward and unleashed a fizzing drive that beat Onana but sped just wide of his right-hand post.

United stayed in the game, though. They did not wilt. Mainoo and Ugarte very much held their own in midfield and for all the roars of encouragement from the Anfield faithful, there were gasps of dismay, too, when Liverpool attacks broke down.

Four minutes before the break, United should have opened the scoring. Rasmus Hojlund sprung Liverpool’s offside trap with a clever run and bore down on Alisson. Hojlund tried to clip the ball past the goalkeeper but Alisson stood up to him and blocked his shot with his chest. Hojlund stared disconsolately at the turf. He knew he had missed a golden chance.

The chance, though, was a sign that United’s confidence was gradually building and seven minutes after half-time they took the lead that their play deserved but which few had expected they could ever attain.

Alexander-Arnold’s relationship with the Liverpool supporters is at a delicate stage as Real Madrid step up their pursuit of his signature and there had been murmurs of criticism aimed at him before he gave the ball away on the edge of the Liverpool area.

Fernandes collected it and went past Alexander-Arnold easily before finding Lisandro Martinez with a clever reverse pass. Martinez took a touch and then rifled an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net in front of the travelling United fans.

Those supporters have been starved of moments like this and they celebrated with wild abandon with their players. Diallo was so ecstatic he was booked for the scale of his exultations.

Andre Onana was called into the action to deny Alexis Mac Allister with his leg in the first half

Gakpo clipped a deft effort over Onana but watched on as it dropped the wrong side of the post

Rasmus Hojlund’s strike was kept out by Alisson in an improved display from Man United

Diallo was unable to guide an inch-perfect delivery beyond Alisson in a golden chance

Harry Maguire missed the chance to win the game for United after firing over the crossbar