Momentarily, United fans saw a famous 3-2 win flash before their retinas, and then quickly disappear. But when the final whistle sounded soon after, they were left humming with pride at the spirit shown by every Red that took to the pitch.
And Harry Maguire crashing into tackle after tackle, with an inspirational mezze of heart, soul, muscle and bone, would have been foremost in their minds.
Maguire's opportunity to join Arthur Albiston, Gary Pallister, Diego Forlan and John O'Shea in the pantheon of unlikely Scousebusters might have passed by, but last weekend's game at Anfield was further evidence towards what all right-minded Reds already know: that Maguire is a character you can hang your hopes on, no matter how dim the circumstances might seem.