It is hard to believe as you watched him pump his arms towards the stands to demand more noise, more passion as Old Trafford celebrated his equaliser but of the men who Jose Mourinho brought to Manchester in the summer, none was accompanied by more shrugs of the shoulders than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

He was in his mid-30s, he had relentlessly travelled around the great centres of European football - Milan, Barcelona and Paris - signing ever more lucrative contracts. He may have turned down the Chinese Super League but United’s £250,000 a week would be an integral part of his pension plan.

When Louis van Gaal began bringing players he had worked with at Ajax to Barcelona in the late 1990s, Mourinho accused him of playing safe. It showed no sense of adventure. “It is like going on holiday with your parents,” Mourinho said.

Bringing Zlatan to Old Trafford was Mourinho holidaying with his parents and it has been quite a lark. Just before they faced Liverpool in the most important fixture of the season, Ibrahimovic gave an interview in which he claimed “to have conquered England in three months.”

Like most of Ibrahimovic’s statements it was a topping of ego and hyperbole layered on a sponge base of truth. His fitness, precision and coolness when it mattered have dragged Manchester United forward. This was his 19th goal of a season that has seen United entrenched in what for Mourinho and Ibrahimovic is the unusual position of sixth place.

At the final whistle, the man himself was more downbeat than he had been before kick-off. “We got one point, we were not at the top of our game,” he said. “We made simple mistakes.” He might have added that Manchester United probably deserved to win this, just as Liverpool should have won at Anfield in September.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was on form for United when others disappeared (Getty Images) (Getty)

The second game pitching Manchester against Merseyside may not have carried the emphatic, knockout quality of Everton’s rout of City earlier in the afternoon but Liverpool would have been happier at the final whistle.

They had not won at Old Trafford since March 2014 when a team spearheaded by Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez – players of the quality not available to Klopp’s starting line-up – had persuaded the men in the directors’ box that David Moyes’s six-year contract was not something they should honour.

Klopp’s side might, however, be harder and more cold-eyed when it matters than Brendan Rodgers had been. Rodgers had never won silverware, Klopp most emphatically has, including two Bundesliga titles wrested from the grip of Bayern Munich.

More than any other member of the top six, Liverpool under Klopp have perfected the art of winning big. In a table that included just the top six, Liverpool would be runaway leaders with 12 points from six matches. Manchester United would be scrapping it out for last place with Arsenal.

Manchester United would have expected to win this. Liverpool were playing in the kind of high visibility yellow favoured by lollipop ladies and cyclists on dark winter nights. It was also the kind of yellow worn by Claudio Bravo during Manchester City’s humiliation at Everton earlier in the afternoon.

Given that they had already lost Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations, had felt unable to select Joel Matip because of arguments that he should be at the Africa Cup of Nations and lost Nathanial Clyne to injury and had to start Philippe Coutinho on the bench, Jurgen Klopp would have taken a draw.

Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings David de Gea: 6 The Spaniard had little to do, and thus there is little praise to offer him. He couldn't do much to stop Bailly's own goal, which cruelly slipped inside his near post. Getty Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Antonio Valencia: 7 Found Mane a difficult opposite number as Liverpool looked to exploit the left flank after Ashley Young proved to be an immovable object. Kept to his task well, though. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Chris Smalling: 6 Lost van Dijk twice from corners and on another day he could well have been punished. But he got away with it, and helped United see the game through. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Eric Bailly: 7 An unfortunate own goal marred an otherwise solid display. United look far more assured with him in the side Getty Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Ashley Young: 9 He used all of his winger pedigree to stifle one of the best players in the division. Salah did not get a sniff. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Nemanja Matic 8 Another solid dsplay marshalling United's rearguard action.Ran proceedings from the heart of midfield. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Scott McTominay 7 A quiet but effective performance from the Scot alongside Matic. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Juan Mata: 6 Could have written his name into United folklore with an overhead kick in the first half, but it wsan't to be. Solid defensively and creative going forward. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Alexis Sanchez: 6 Another anonymous display. Effective pressing and important in link play, but yet to make his mark for United. The wait for the breakthrough moment goes on. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Marcus Rashford: 9 An outstanding display for the academy product. Two crucial goals on his first start since boxing day. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Romelu Lukaku: 8 Isolated in the second half as United sat deep, but his hold-up play was crucial to United's first half double. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Lorius Karius: 6 Little he could about both goals which were expertly taken. Relatively untroubled thereafter. AFP/Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5 A tough afternoon for the youngster, who met his match in Marcus Rashford. Man Utd via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Dejan Lovren: 5 Completely dominated by Lukaku, especially in the first period. Grew into the game, but questions will remain about who should partner van Dijk. REUTERS Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Virgil van Dijk: 5 Missed two big chances from corners, but defensively found himself unstuck as Liverpool struggled to deal Lukaku and Rashford. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Andy Robertson: 7 The Scottish full back put in a solid display and was effective going forward. Liverpool's best defensive performer. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Emre Can: 6 Struggled against McTominay and Matic in an otherwise unremarkable display. Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings James Milner: 6 Creativity is not normally an issue for Liverpool but they lacked it in midfield. United's defensive performance played a part, but for Milner, it was a game to forget. Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 5 : A frustrating afternoon for Oxlande Chamberlain. Booked early on for a foul on McTominay, and never really got going. He was unsurprisingly subbed just after the hour mark. AFP/Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Sadio Mane: 7 A threat with his direct running and caused Valencia a number of problems. His cross led to Liverpool's goal, a meritable return on a frustrating afternoon. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Mohamed Salah: 5 He won't have found Ashley Young's pocked a comfortable place to reside. A frustrating afternoon for the Egyptian, who revealed himself to be human after all. Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Roberto Firmino: 6 The Brazilian offered a link between midfield and attack but didn't have any opportunities of note. A stifled afternoon for the former Hoffenheim man. Getty Images

It was a neat contrast that Liverpool’s goalscorer should have been James Milner. Given that he has played for Leeds, Manchester City and Liverpool, Milner is not a man who would naturally endear himself to the Stretford End. They may love him a little less after the penalty that gave Liverpool a point.