Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool remain winless in 2017 two games into the Premier League as they managed to take just a point from their trip to the Old Trafford this weekend.
The Reds were going into the game without Joel Matip who was not eligible to take part in this game. They also had a last minute absentee in Nathaniel Clyne who could not make it to the game and were expected to be on the back foot on the night.
Though they were a bit nervous at the start, Paul Pogba, gave away a needless penalty at the half-hour mark to give James Milner a chance to score his 6th goal of the season. The makes shift full back fully obliged, by beating De Gea and giving his side a lead in the first half. United grew into the game in the second half and finally managed to breach Liverpool’s defence as Zlatan Ibrahimovic improvised with his headed effort to give his side a point.
There were plenty of decent performances on the night and here are the player ratings for both sides:
Manchester United:
David de Gea (6):
Was not tested as much by the visitors but was up to the task when called upon.
Antonio Valencia (6):
Was caught out of position on more than one occasion but also provided the surge that made the breakthrough late in the game.
Phil Jones (5):
Was nervy all night long as he allowed the likes of Origi and Firmino in on more than one occasions.
Marcos Rojo (5):
His mistake led to the corner that led to the goal but was generally solid at the back for his side.
Matteo Darmian (5):
Stuck to his task well at the back but failed to provide any support at the other end of the field.
Paul Pogba (4):
A horrible day for the world record signing, who gave away the penalty and also missed a few chances in either half. He will surely want to forget this game quickly.
Ander Herrera (7):
Created a number of chances as he ran the show in the midfield and broke through the Liverpool defence on more than one occasion.
Michael Carrick (6):
Was largely absent in the game in the first half and was replaced at half-time by Rooney.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (5):
Provided a couple of sizzling moments but was out of the picture for most parts of the game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (7):
Was ineffective for most of the game but popped up at the right time to earn his team a point.
Anthony Martial (5):
Started the game in fine fashion but slowly faded away and was replaced by Mata.
SUBS:
Wayne Rooney (6):
The United skipper came on at the half to time to try and create an impact and his cross is what gave United the breakthrough at the end.
Juan Mata (5):
Came in too late into the game to have the kind of an effect expected by his manager.
Marouane Fellaini (7):
Came into the game to add some strength to the attack and he made an immediate impact as he won a number of air balls to keep Liverpool pegged back late in the game.
Liverpool:
Simon Mignolet (8):
The man of the match for Liverpool on the night, Mignolet, made a number of sublime saves to keep his side in the game as he is showing some improvement from the last couple of seasons.
Trent Alexander Arnold (5):
Though caught in possession at times, Trent AA, was superb with his defensive duties and was impressive.
Dejan Lovren (6):
A solid performance at the back to keep the likes of Zlatan away from goal and keep his side in the hunt.
Ragnar Klavan (6):
The Estonian also had a decent game that allowed Liverpool to keep their lead for a large portion of the game.
James Milner (6):
Was hardly tested at the back and was calm and composed for his penalty that gave his side a point.
Jordan Henderson (5):
Just coming back from injury, Henderson kept the Manchester United midfield calm, but could not effect his sides play on the night.
Emre Can (5):
Was yet again wasteful in possession but put in a stronger and more determined performance on the night.
Georginio Wijnaldum (6):
Should have scored more than once on the night but did justice to his place in the middle of the field for Liverpool.
Adam Lallana (5):
His usual self in the midfield for Liverpool but failed to have any telling impact in the final third.
Roberto Firmino (7):
Arguably the best player on the outfield for Liverpool, Firmino, created a number of chances for his side, and also put in a defensive shift that will make Klopp a happy man.
Divock Origi (5):
Failed to use his strength to hold up the ball and also had minimal impact in the final third.
SUBS:
Philippe Coutinho (6):
The only sub used by Klopp, Coutinho immediately made Liverpool sharper, but he failed to give his side all three points off the bench.