The Manchester United fans have won the copyright to mock their rivals, Liverpool after they beat them 3-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday. Liverpool looked dull and lethargic and gave away all three points from a game between two sides with similar starts to the tournament. Louis van Gaal will be delighted with the result and will be looking forward to a similar performance against PSV Eindhoven in the midweek Champions League fixture.
In this article, we bring you the 5 biggest points to talk about in the game between United and Liverpool.
1. Absence of Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney recently broke the all-time goal scorer’s record for England but was not available for this game against Liverpool. He was replaced by Fellaini who took the number 9 role at the tip of the attack for United. The Belgian was authoritative in the air but often lacked any kind of moment in behind the defenders. As a result, United could not build on their attacks in the first half. He was joined by Martial in the latter stages and he immediately made an impact playing in behind the striker. This may be the best position for Fellaini especially after Rooney comes back into the squad.
2. Ings and Firmino
Brendan Rodgers started the game with Ings, Benteke and Firmino up top for the Merseyside Club. But instead of playing with two strikers, the manager played a 4-3-3 formation for this game which slowly changed into a flat 5 in mid-field with Ings on the right and Firmino on the left. This left Benteke stranded up ahead and Liverpool were not able to produce any fluidity in their game. It also meant that Liverpool lacked any kind of width in the final third. A midfield diamond with Firmino at its tip would have been a better way to go for the manager.
3. Liverpool defense
The biggest weakness for this Liverpool side has been its shaky defense. They have kept 3 clean sheets out of 5 games but have conceded 6 goals in the last 2 games. Lovren and Skrtel just don’t seem comfortable playing alongside each other and looking at them play gives the fans some heart in the mouth moments. Mignolet could not do much with the goals but was generally poor with his distribution. Overall, Liverpool is badly in need of a confidence booster at the back if they want to keep challenging for the top 4 spots this season.
4. Young for Depay
Louis van Gaal played Depay on the left flank but could not get much joy as Nathaniel Clyne had his number on the day. But the manager was quick to address the issue and substituted Ashley Young at half-time. The move paid dividends immediately as Young drew a foul on Clyne inches outside the penalty box which resulted in Blind’s goal. Young also kept Clyne on the back foot and didn’t allow him to join the attacks which gave Liverpool even less width on the pitch. This was a mastermind move from Louis van Gaal.
5. Anthony Martial
The costliest teenager in the world of Football announced himself with a bang and that in one of the biggest rivalries in the sport. Martial came on late in the second half and saw Benteke pull one back for Liverpool with a stunner. But Martial had other plans as he ran through the Liverpool defense to finish calmly showing the world why the manager was willing to splash the bucks. Martial also looked confident on the ball and provided the United attack a very good outlet with his pace and trickery. If this game is anything to go by, Martial is well on course to being a great player in the best league in the world.
Manchester United have now taken 10 points from 5 games and will be happy with their performance against Liverpool. For Rodgers however, it is straight back to the drawing board where he will have to rethink his strategies.
Follow our website for more such interesting articles about your favorite team.