Harry Maguire’s header won the last meeting at Anfield, but the goal before it said more about this fixture. On 19 October 2025, Cody Gakpo equalised in the 78th minute from a low cross by Federico Chiesa, who had started the afternoon on the bench. Before you look at the Liverpool vs Man U betting for Sunday 22 November, it’s worth knowing how often players who didn’t start have decided these games.
It has become a habit in this rivalry, and it goes back further than one October afternoon.
Three bench goals in one afternoon
The FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford on 17 March 2024 is the extreme case. Manchester United won 4-3 after extra time, and three of the seven goals came from substitutes.
Antony replaced Rasmus Hojlund in the 71st minute and equalised at 2-2 in the 87th. Harvey Elliott came on for Dominik Szoboszlai at the same time and put Liverpool 3-2 up in the 105th minute. Amad Diallo, sent on for Raphael Varane in the 85th minute, scored the winner from Alejandro Garnacho’s pass in the 121st. He was then sent off, picking up a second yellow card for his celebration.
Late changes, late goals
The league meetings since then have followed the same pattern on a smaller scale.
At Old Trafford on 7 April 2024, Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled substitute Elliott in the box, and Mohamed Salah’s penalty made it 2-2. At Anfield on 5 January 2025, Garnacho came off the bench and crossed for Amad’s 80th-minute equaliser in another 2-2 draw.
Then came Chiesa’s cross for Gakpo in October 2025. Six minutes later, Maguire headed in Bruno Fernandes’ cross to give United their first win at Anfield since 2016.
Across those four meetings, substitutes scored three goals, set up two more and won the penalty for a fourth.
The most recent game is the exception. United beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford on 3 May 2026, and none of the seven substitutes used scored or provided an assist. Amad came on at half time and gave the ball away for Szoboszlai’s goal. Kobbie Mainoo, who started, scored the winner in the 77th minute.
How the benches look now
Several of the players behind those moments have gone. Antony joined Real Betis and Garnacho moved to Chelsea in 2025, while Elliott is on loan at Valencia this season.
Liverpool changed far more than their bench over the summer. Andoni Iraola replaced Arne Slot as head coach in June, and Salah, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones all left. In came Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, Victor Munoz from Osasuna and Lucca Brughmans from Genk, with Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona. Chiesa is still at the club.
United’s business was concentrated in midfield. Michael Carrick, confirmed as permanent head coach in May, added Carlos Baleba from Brighton, Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. Hojlund, Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho all left, while Amad remains.
That matters more this season than last. The May win secured United’s return to the Champions League, so both clubs now play midweek European football and both managers will need their benches more often.
What to watch on 22 November
Liverpool’s bench has more new names than United’s. Barcola adds pace out wide to a forward group that already includes Gakpo and Chiesa. Tielemans and Andrey Santos give Carrick more ways to change a game from midfield than the options he had on the bench in May.
For anyone planning to bet online on the game, the team sheets are only half the information. The other half is who is sitting on the bench, and which manager turns to it first.
Of the five meetings above, four involved a substitute scoring, assisting or winning a penalty.