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Manchester United have David De Gea to thank for a point against Liverpool in a lacklustre draw at Anfield where both Romelu Lukaku and Mohamed Salah were guilty of missing some fantastic opportunities to snatch all three points.
Here are five things we learned at Anfield:
Lukaku is missing Pogba
Liverpool vs Manchester United player ratings
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Romelu Lukaku’s scintillating start to the season appeared little more than a fizzle at Anfield. It took the Belgian 17 minutes to get his first touch and his first sight at goal came in the 43rd minute when one-touch passing with Henrikh Mkhitaryan set up space to shoot but Simon Mignolet saved well.
Lukaku, who has already scored seven league goals this season, cut a frustrated figure and was often left isolated with United slow to get up the pitch.
Salah needs to find a better end product.
Yes, Salah completed more successful dribbles (7) than any other player. Yes, he is a threat on the counter attack. Yes, his play is great on the eye. But too often an end product is absent.
Too often he would work an opportunity for himself or a teammate but fail to meaningfully test the goalkeeper. Perhaps against less defensively stubborn opposition Salah’s goals return will be more fruitful, but in the big matches his end product needs to be better.
David De Gea continues rise to world’s best
Manchester United legend and former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was at Anfield to witness what may be already a favourite for ‘save of the season.
In the first half De Gea made a sensational save to deny Joel Matip what he must have thought would be his first goal at Anfield. From close proximity, the defender prodded a low cross goal bound but De Gea, somehow, outstretched his leg and turned the ball away with an extraordinary reaction save.
Is there a better goalkeeper in the world right now? Probably not.
Another derby fails to live up to expectation
Perhaps it’s the persistent dramatic montages of past games that wets the appetite for Liverpool versus Manchester United, but this was a game which fell flat on expectation.
Neither side started a Scouser or Mancunian but there was some determined tackling. What the game lacked was attacking invention. Jose Mourinho has become the master of nullifying these big encounters but in truth it was a rather dull watch.
Mourinho fails to break international curse
At Manchester United, Mourinho had previously failed to win a game straight after an international break having drawn four and lost one.
Both teams are filled with international stars and the effect of playing two games on far away soil took its toll on the sides today.
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