After the long wait for the Premier League to resume following the international break, it returned more with a whimper than the bang everyone was hoping for. Manchester United ground out yet another goalless stalemate at Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool were frustrated again, despite dominating possession and chances.
Jose Mourinho did not quite park the bus, but it was an unquestionably negative approach that prompted jeers and chants from the home crowd. In Premier League history, this fixture has ended without a goal on just three occasions. Two of those have now come under the so-called Special One.
STAR MAN
Just in case there was anyone who still disagreed, David de Gea showed yet again why he is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. This fixture seems to bring out the best in the Spaniard – his most eye-catching save of last season also came at Anfield – and once again he was an immovable shield behind a defence that looked just a tad more vulnerable than normal.
His defining moment came mid-way through the first half, seemingly defying the laws of physics to instantaneously flick out a foot and deny Joel Matip what looked like a certain goal. Even seen a second time in slow motion it did not seem possible. ‘If you’re going to win the title you need a great goalkeeper – and United have got one,’ Gary Neville purred.
It is the fifth ‘big’ chance he has saved, more than any other goalkeeper. It was also the kind of save that marks him out compared to his peers. Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris, for example, frequently tries to save with his hands when his feet are required. De Gea is sublime with both. Incredibly, he has now conceded from just 2.5% of all the shots he has faced this season. There is simply no-one better.
WHO DIDN’T IMPRESS?
Saturday’s match felt like the first real test of Romelu Lukaku’s United No.9 credentials. Until now his prolific start to the season had come against the Premier League’s lesser lights – this was the club’s first fixture against a top-half team – but he struggled to make any meaningful impact. He touched the ball just 22 times, the least of any player who started the match.
In Lukaku’s defence, United’s gameplan left him incredibly isolated, but Mourinho will be alarmed at how quickly that isolation turned into frustration. He was lucky to avoid a booking after wiping out Joe Gomez – who had an excellent game – and was then involved in an altercation with Dejan Lovren that left the latter rolling around on the turf in agony.
When he was presented with a great chance to open the scoring, his finish lacked composure, blasting United’s only real chance of note straight down the throat of Simon Mignolet. Lukaku was not the only United attacker to struggle, and ultimately Mourinho’s approach to the match shackled many of the players that have shone so brightly. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, likewise, was a shadow of the livewire that has created five goals already this term.
WHAT SURPRISED US?
It would have been scarcely imaginable a year ago, but United really missed Marouane Fellaini against Liverpool. The Belgian has transformed himself from a pariah under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal to a trusted lieutenant under Mourinho, even picked to deputise for the injured Paul Pogba ahead of last season’s Player of the Year Ander Herrera… until injury forced a reshuffle.
The Spaniard looked rusty in just his second Premier League start of the season, getting caught out of position, misplacing passes and throwing himself into challenges. To his credit, he attempted nine tackles – almost as many as the rest of his teammates combined.
Fellaini’s absence, though, did not so much rob Mourinho of a bullish, destructive presence in midfield, but a reliable and consistent out-ball. He has frequently been used as a release in big matches, including the Europa League final; a target for under pressure defenders to hit early. Without him, United struggled to get out of their own half and Lukaku was deprived of a foil.
WHAT DIDN’T SURPRISE US?
For all United’s early season attacking intent, it always seemed inevitable that Mourinho would reapply the handbrake for the trip to Anfield. He set his side up much as he did on his last visit, though injuries necessitated a few changes. They sat deep, sometimes even moving into a back five, but pressed Liverpool’s attackers once they got within the final third.
Unsurprisingly, Liverpool made an extremely fast start to the match, and it briefly felt as though the match might become an end-to-end spectacle as United matched their early intensity. But the electric Mohamed Salah started to find space to run into, and Mourinho reacted accordingly, calming his team down and dropping them a little deeper.
That first 20 minutes set the tone for the match: Lukaku touched the ball once, while Anthony Martial’s average position was, incredibly, deeper than Matteo Darmian. In the end, United managed marginally more possession than last time (38%) but just one shot on target. In truth, Liverpool probably did not create enough themselves even though De Gea was required to make a miracle save. Plenty for both teams to build on.
Share this with