Liverpool-Manchester United: 5 Talking Points

The eagerly anticipated match ended in a stalemate in an encounter that was nicknamed #RedMonday. Here are the 5 impressions the game left on me

1. United frustrate Liverpool: at the end of the game, Liverpool only had 9 attempts, something which is incongruous to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Indeed the 2 shots by Liverpool in the first half was the club’s lowest in a home game in over a decade. All these were due to the solid defensive set up by Mourinho to limit the strengths of Liverpool
2. Referee comes through unscathed: the media was all over the FA for appointing Anthony Taylor to officiate this game, looking at his Manchester roots. However, the ref was able to perform creditably under huge pressure. Even though the Old Trafford faithfuls would feel aggrieved by certain penalisation of their players, the official’s performance was certainly devoid of any controversies.
3. Under par Pogba and Ibrahimovic: the Red Devil’s two big stars were expected to come to the party, however, things didn’t go exactly as they would have loved. Pogba was largely anonymous in the game, even in his prefer role as an attacking midfielder. Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic contrived to miss United’s best opening of the game: worked by Pogba.
4. Imperious Herrera: Ander Herrera was in a superb form on Monday evening. The Spaniard was all over the pitch with a high intensity performance. You can call him the Kante of last season. His efforts- including a season high interceptions of 11, according to opta- were rewarded with a befitting man of the match award.
5. Sturridge subdued as De Gea steals show: the Liverpool marksman could not get a shot on target during an hour of play, which eventually led to his substitution. In real fact, the former Chelsea man had only one touch in the opposition’s box. To the contrary the man Sturridge was expected to keep busy, De Gea was on top of his game with two fine saves, first a low dive to his right to deny Can and a fantastic right handed stop to deny Coutinho a wonder-winning-goal.