Manchester United 0 – 3 Liverpool – The Postmortem

This was a game that had been a struggle in the recent past, as the stubborn resistance of Manchester United continued to thwart a Liverpool team that seemed reliant on being superior, rather than actually getting the job done. The battle of the two Dutch Head Coaches ended exactly as I expected, with the instruments of Merseyside harnessing a more measured and effective approach to the encounter.

Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.

The Starting Eleven

GK – Alisson Becker

RB – Trent Alexander Arnold

RCB – Ibrahima Konaté

LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Andy Robertson

CM – Alexis Mac Allister

ACM – Dominik Szoboszlai

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

RF – Mohamed Salah

CF – Diogo Jota

LF – Luis Díaz

Subs

Cody Gakpo – Luis Díaz (66 mins)

Darwin Núñez – Diogo Jota (76 mins)

Conor Bradley – Trent Alexander Arnold (76 mins)

Kostas Tsimikas – Andy Robertson (83 mins)

Goals (Assisted by)

Manchester United 0 – 1 Liverpool

Luis Díaz (Mohamed Salah) – 35 mins

Manchester United 0 – 2 Liverpool

Luis Díaz (Mohamed Salah) – 42 mins

Manchester United 0 – 3 Liverpool

Mohamed Salah (Dominik Szoboszlai)- 56 mins

Important Match Stats

Possession

Manchester United 53% – 47% Liverpool

Total Shots

Manchester United 8 – 11 Liverpool

Crosses

Manchester United 18 – 9 Liverpool

Corner Kicks 

Manchester United 5 – 2 Liverpool

Goalkeeper Saves

Manchester United 0 – 3 Liverpool

The First Half

The opening period of this game was almost the perfect example of how to overwhelm an opposition. Following a breakaway and drive into the box by the electric Luis Díaz, eventually the ball fell to an advancing Trent Alexander Arnold, who thundered the ball over the line in the seventh minute. Unfortunately for the ecstatic homegrown hero, VAR interceded and adjudged that an off side had been apparent in the build up to the goal. The rampaging reds did not have to wait too long to solidify their advantage, as strategic pressing from the front and middle men led to another breakaway. Mohamed Salah was found by a resurgent Ryan Gravenberch, with the receiving Egyptian able to float a right footed cross to the back post, before the Columbian flyer, Luis Díaz, headed into an open goal.

As the match shifted up another gear, it took just seven more minutes for the Salah and Díaz combination to double the lead and create frenzy in the stadium. More direct play arose from some stumbling United possession, which allowed the Egyptian King to slide a cute assist into his forward line teammate, who guided the ball into the bottom corner from twelve yards out. The energy and ferocious intent of the visitors created confusion and frustration in the hosts, who were limited to a couple of half chances which were dealt with by the world’s greatest goalkeeper, Alisson Becker.

The half ended with a commanding lead and performance very much in place.

The Second Half

On resumption of the second half, no changes were made, as the Liverpool Head Coach sent out the eleven men which had dismantled the opposition in a dominating first half showing. The final nail in the coffin (theatre of dreams) came by way of the man who had delivered a pair of first half assists. Mohamed Salah is the world’s best player right now and is the talisman of this exciting regeneration. The former Roma man’s clinical finish was sublime and in keeping with the torment he has often delivered this adversary over the years. Ali was brought into action to dispel one close range header, whereas the scores should have been increased to 0-4, if not for the overplaying mindset of the Hungarian skipper, Dominik Szoboszlai.

Trent and Robbo were diligent and committed. Virgil and Ibou were commanding and towering. Alexis and Gravenberch (especially) were controlling entities, whereas Dom was powerful and effective just ahead. Mo and Luis were electric, as Diogo Jota irritated and harassed the United rearguard. The subs were effective and seemingly brought on with the game already won.

The game ended at 0-3, however, the mindset is now that secure, that many would have been disappointed not have seen more goals.

What Are My Final Thoughts…?

This was a game that never seemed out of control or something that would cause despair. The fan base needed a stark reminder of just how stellar this group can be, with so much depth still waiting in the wings.

The ideology of competition appears to have energised a group that had lost their beloved German manager, with three wins from three taking the Anfield club to joint top of the Premier League. The international break will allow key training sessions to continue, as confident assets head off for their respective national duties. The undeniable fact is that one or two players may return injured, therefore, the hope is that the ethos of a brilliant tactician and Head Coach will be taken on by those currently on the fringes of the first team, before making a winning return in two weeks.