Even in a crazy Premier League season, this is certainly a first. Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim watched his side pick up a thoroughly deserved 2 - 2 draw at Anfield against rivals Liverpool, in what was United's best performance under their new manager by a country mile. And yet, the Portuguese was furious.
It's easy to understand why when you listen to him.
"When we are focused, when we fight for every ball, when we suffer, when we are tired when the game is finished, we are a good team," he said to BBC Sport after the game.
But he was just as quick to fire a warning back to his players for their upcoming run of fixtures, which begins with an FA Cup tie away to Arsenal:
"If we don't do that every time we are going to lose games. This is now clear to everybody."
This message may have been more aimed towards United's next Premier League game, which is at home to Southampton, rather than the FA Cup tie away to Arsenal next weekend.
Club captain Bruno Fernandes, who delivered his best performance of a difficult season on Sunday afternoon, was also more focused on the Southampton game in ten days' time:
"We can't stop here. We have to bring this heart, passion and frustration to the next (Premier League) game.
"If we can do it at Anfield, we have to do it everywhere."
It's a fair point Fernandes makes, because if United were to revert back to their form of the past month after this phenomenal display at Anfield, they'll be pushed to beat the drop.
Play like they did on Sunday however and anyone will have a tough time beating Amorim's side, as was shown by the draw with Liverpool; this was just the fifth time Liverpool have dropped points in their 19 Premier League games this season.
It so easily could've been more as well for United, with Harry Maguire blazing a glorious chance over the bar with the very last kick of the game.
So how exactly did United go from struggling to beat the likes of Wolves and Viktoria Plzen to drawing 2 - 2 with the run-away Premier League leaders?
A Point of Passion
The simple answer is that every single Manchester United player really, genuinely wanted to win at Anfield. This is not to say that Liverpool didn't, but there was an extra edge to the United players on Sunday.
Liverpool played it just like any other game, which given the chasm in class between the two sides over the past month or so, is fair enough.
But United played it like the derby this glorious fixture used to be. It was that same quality that gave United victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup last season.
Although that quality seemed to take a hiatus for Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford in September, it was very much present in the draw at Anfield.
From the very first moments of the game, something looked different about Manchester United. It was difficult to pinpoint to begin with, but after a few minutes it was glaringly obvious; they were running.
Such a basic expectation, but it was absent against Newcastle United last Monday, and Liverpool were completely taken back by the ferocity of United.
For the first 20 minutes or so it didn't amount to much, because the visitors were testing their own limits, gradually getting bolder and bolder as they hunted a richly deserved opening goal at Anfield.
While the goal didn't come in the first half, it did in the second. To most viewers' surprise, Liverpool showed no reaction at half time, and United took full advantage.
Lissandro Martinez popped up in a gap left by Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose dire performance is a whole other story. The Argentine, despite being a centre-back, plastered the ball in off the underside of the crossbar, a finish Erling Haaland would've been proud of.
The complete bedlam that followed between the United players and supporters reflected just how significant a moment in the Red Devil's season this was.
Despite being 1 - 0 up in a stadium where only Nottingham Forest have won this season, the goal wasn't the most impressive element of United's performance; it was the response when Liverpool looked to have flipped the script.
Cody Gakpo's outstanding equaliser followed by a controversial Mo Salah penalty, awarded for a very harsh handball against Mathias De Ligt, had put the leaders in charge. But not for long.
United, who had just one win in five coming into the trip to Anfield, struck back, refusing to be beaten, and as it was at the Etihad in December, it was Amad Diallo with the late heroics to draw United level.
A goal away to Liverpool was cause for celebration, given that United hadn't scored at Anfield since 2018 before Martinez's net-buster, but a point was absolutely unthinkable at kick-off.
Yet it could've been so much more. So dramatic was United's sudden re-emergence that they kept going at 2 - 2, determined to snatch all three points from their old rivals.
Joshua Zirkzee broke free in the 97th minute and cut the ball back to Harry Maguire on the penalty spot, but the England defender, perhaps seeing the headlines, blazed his effort over.
As mentioned before, the cutback from Zirkzee was unnecessarily powerful and was off the ground; a slower ball along the ground would've made a far more straight forward finish for the defender, but ultimately United won't care who is to blame.
So not only have United come away from what is, statistically at least, the toughest away game in Europe with a point, they've come away disappointed not to have left with three.
What Next
Ironically, United now have seven days between matches for the first time since the November international break. At a time where United might have a smidge of momentum, Ruben Amorim might actually welcome another game in three days time.
Instead the Red Devils will look to take their new-found fire into an FA Cup tie at the Emirates against an Arsenal side who breezed past them in the Premier League last month.
While Liverpool have recorded the most points at home this season, the Gunners are the only side in the top flight not to have lost a home game.
United were exceptional at Anfield and certainly reminded everyone in the Premier League that they don't belong in the bottom half of the league. But while Liverpool were unsettled by United's ability to keep the ball, Arsenal will thrive on it.
Dark arts or not, Mikel Arteta's team adore defending, and they're good at it. The Gunners haven't conceded three times in a game since 5th December 2023, a game they actually won 4 - 3 away to Luton Town.
Without taking anything away from United, both of the goals they scored at Anfield were preventable from a Liverpool point of view; they will likely not have such luck at the Emirates.
On top of that, United's head-to-head record with Arsenal is even worse than it is against Liverpool; United have won just two of their last twelve meetings with the Gunners, losing eight, including each of the last four.
Beyond the FA Cup though, Manchester United have a promising run of fixtures.
Just four days after facing Arsenal, United host Southampton in a must-win Premier League game. The point at Anfield is fantastic, but it is only a point, so the Red Devils must get back to winning ways in the league.
Three days later a stuttering Brighton come to Old Trafford. If United can win both of these home games they'll likely pull themselves away from the drop, and given both Southampton and Brighton's preference to play possession football, Amorim will fancy his chances.
After a couple of Premier League games United play the first of two quick-fire Europa League games, the first of which is against Rangers.
The Scottish side have impressed in Europe this season and sit between Manchester United and fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham, just inside the automatic last 16 places.
After a tricky test against Fulham at Craven Cottage, United head to Romania for their final League Phase game against a resilient Steaua Bucharest team, but if the Red Devils beat Rangers, the game will be a dead rubber for Amorim, albeit it might have some consequence for their hosts.
This run of favourable fixtures for Manchester United then brings Crystal Palace to Old Trafford on 2nd February before a break for the Fourth Round of the FA Cup; United won't have a game whether they're still in the competition or not.
If Manchester United can secure automatic progression to the last 16 of the Europa League and win at least three of these Premier League fixtures, they will not only pull themselves away from any relegation concerns, but they might just be in with a shout of getting back into contention for a European spot.
Could United Make Europe?
To be perfectly clear, we're not saying it's likely Manchester United make Europe, but if they get their act together in January it's still well within reach.
After the draw at Anfield, United are ten points behind seventh-placed Bournemouth and thirteen behind Chelsea, who are just about clinging on to their top four spot despite failing to win any of their last four games.
If United were to win three of their next four, perhaps with a draw against Brighton or Fulham, those ten points, while likely not enough to get them up into the top seven, could put them close enough for it to seem a lot more plausible.
Bournemouth aren't necessarily the marker in seventh either. There are a range of scenarios which would see anywhere between five and nine Premier League spots worth European places.
To cut a long story short, if the winners of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup are already in the top five, two of those potential four extra spots are made available.
Another is made available if the English clubs in Europe earn a Performance Spot in next season's Champions League. This looks likely will all of the European Premier League clubs with the exception of Manchester City and Tottenham in the top eight of their respective League Phases.
The ninth spot is far less likely, as it would require a team who have not qualified for European football through their league position to win a European trophy.
Realistically, City or Spurs are the only sides who could do this, but it seems highly unlikely that City don't get some form of European football and, given the way their season is going, it's probably even more unlikely that Spurs win the Europa League.
So in all likelihood, there will be eight European spots up for grabs. If Manchester United can start putting some good performances together and picking up some points, they could be firmly back in that fight by the end of February.
League position isn't the only way to qualify for European competition either; if United were to win either the FA Cup or Europa League they would secure either a Europa League or Champions League place for next season.
In all likelihood, the Europa League will be the easier competition to win, with the first hurdle in the FA Cup difficult enough for United away at Arsenal.
The Europa League, while tough, won't be receiving eight relegated teams from the Champions League in the new format. This presents the Red Devils with a genuine opportunity to win the trophy for the first time since Jose Mourinho led them to it in 2017.
There's no suggestion that it's going to be easy for Manchester United to turn their season around. A point at Anfield is a step in the right direction, especially as it was the product of their best performance of the season, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Ruben Amorim was fired up in a way we haven't seen yet after United's draw at Anfield. While he was frustrated at the lack of performance in previous games, when he takes a fresh look at the situation at training this week, he'll see this as a stepping stone to a good run of results.
Yes, the Arsenal test will be tough, but United's last four points have come from games away to Manchester City and Liverpool, so they have a chance at the Emirates, especially with a sprinkling of FA Cup magic.
For what is only really a set-up season for Ruben Amorim before he changes his squad in the Summer, Sunday's result at Anfield offers some hope that United might still salvage something in 2025.
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