Ugarte's standout performance at Anfield gives Man Utd hope

With seconds remaining in Manchester United's 2-2 thriller against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday, Manuel Ugarte launched a stunning reverse pass to Bruno Fernandes that sent a ripple of fear around Anfield.

While many will remember United defender Harry Maguire missing a sitter, Ugarte's pass, while running towards his own goal, that set up the attempt was the highlight of a terrific performance for the Uruguayan – and showed why his arrival in Manchester in September was met with so much optimism.

"His quality on the ball, it surprised me a little bit," former United midfielder Paul Scholes told Premier League Productions. "He's probably done better than I thought he would do.

"He (United manager Ruben Amorim) said before that Ugarte did well for him at Sporting Lisbon, as a really young player as well, so he knows him. This lad is really growing in confidence.

"I thought he took up some great positions, he helped defensively, he helped with the attack and I thought he had the composure to take the ball as well."

While the draw lifted United to 13th in the standings, still closer to the relegation zone than the European qualifying spots, it felt like a win. United finally played with the intensity and fearlessness that Amorim has been calling for since he arrived in mid-November.

The 23-year-old Ugarte has thrived under Portuguese boss and Sunday's match was another chance to silence critics who were ruthless with their comments in his early games for United.

Ugarte's shaky start under former manager Erik ten Hag had Dutch legend Marco van Basten among the harshest critics, calling his 41 million euro ($42.74 million) transfer from Paris St Germain "idiotic".

On Sunday, Ugarte had 58 touches of the ball and an 88 per cent passing accuracy, and went toe-to-toe with Liverpool's midfield of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones.

Scholes credited Amorim's decision to start Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo in midfield after Casemiro and Christian Eriksen were brutally exposed in United's 2-0 loss to Newcastle United six days earlier as a game-changer.

"Personnel makes a big difference, I think the middle of the pitch is the most important area of the pitch, and Monday (against Newcastle) obviously wasn't right," Scholes said.

"Today we knew we had half a chance with Ugarte and Mainoo. The manager by now should know his players. (Sunday's starting 11) has to be his best team."

United next travel to Arsenal in an FA Cup third-round match. An overriding message from Sunday's draw was: frustration over why their intensity against Liverpool had been woefully absent in previous games, and can they sustain it going forward?

Sunday will be a good test.

"I take more out of that performance than actually winning against the champions (Manchester City)," Scholes said. "I think now that's a blueprint, that's the way they have to go forward, they have to follow up now, that's the standard."