It has been two weeks now that the new Football season in Europe has commenced amid the global crisis. If anything that helps the people across the globe forgets about the ongoing crisis then it is nothing but football - the game of the people. In La Liga, Italia Serie A, and Bundesliga; the matches have been vibrant - without a little shocking outcome whereas no one cares about what is happening in Ligue 1.
In the Premier League, it has been a wild ride - Manchester United was outclassed by Brighton and Brentford, Leeds United thrashed Chelsea, Newcastle United went neck to neck against the defending champions Manchester City, and Liverpool dropped points in consecutive matches - well, the weekend ended with Jurgen Klopp losing against the arch-rivals Manchester United, who opened their accounts for the first time this season.
How a team trounced 4-0 at Brentford last time out could outfight, out-skill, and outrun an opponent who defeated them 9-0 on aggregate last term remains a matter of deep study for Klopp, who and his men are reeling at the moment.
On a night where the latest anti-Glazer protests had up to 10,000 marching to Old Trafford and introduced the newly signed Casemiro from Real Madrid to the crown, Manchester United were a picture of bravery and quality from David de Gea in goal to Marcus Rashford at number 9, his second-half strike bookending Jadon Sancho’s early opener.
Erik ten Hag hinted at playing with players who would ensure more energy, better communication, and attitude at Old Trafford - that might have resulted in benching Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire. Ten Hag went with a new central defensive pair - Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Diogo Dalot paired on the wing-back positions.
Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen formed the pivot and playmaker pair respectively at the central midfield, Bruno Fernandes joined the central attacking midfield, operating behind Marcus Rashford, with Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho operating on both the flanks.
Erik ten hag was quick to notice the weakness of Liverpool and which was the left side and at the center-back position, where Virgil van Dijk and Joel Gomez looked shaky.
In the first phase, in the previous matches against Brighton and Brentford, the Red Devils were seen struggling to move the ball forward after completing the short passes during ball-receiving from De Gea and opting for the longer ones at the center of the final third and flanks - but everything started to work since the ball started rolling.
The short passes on their own half during receiving the ball from David de Gea were limited and the long balls fell on the right paths.
De Gea and the United backline had targeted Gomez and TAA with the long balls because neither of them was great in the air. Their vulnerability, left Harvey Elliot and Mohamed Salah to guard the right flank and Henderson was shielding the center-back position, where Gomez was shaking.
On the left side of Liverpool, Diaz was trying to cut back but was neutralized by Lisandro and the pivot McTominay and when Andy Robertson moved to aid more fuel the area was congested because United were compact and Liverpool failed to move freely. McTominay partnered with Eriksen very well and complemented each other by moving up and down - well, the midfield of United was running like a beast as if already the presence of Casemiro had an impact on them.
What followed was a sweet back-to-front sequence that finished with United scoring. Raphaël Varane made a superb intervention, taking the ball from Roberto Firmino’s toes in the area. Those in red moved upfield, before Elanga found Sancho, who feinted, left James Milner on his backside, and coolly beat Alisson.
James Milner gave Van Dijk a telling-off about something, and Klopp was thinking of his techinal moves. Klopp had 10 players unavailable including several injured A-listers: Thiago Alcântara, Diogo Jota and Naby Keïta, plus the suspended Darwin Núñez. The manager’s preference for the functional 36-year-old Milner instead of Fabinho, a natural holding player whose legs were the best part of a decade younger, was a head-scratcher.
So far so good for Manchester United, a pattern that continued when Elanga turned Trent Alexander-Arnold and drew a foul. This time Eriksen’s free-kick was tipped over by Alisson.
Liverpool displayed some resurgence when Alexander-Arnold’s cross was stabbed away by Varane and Harvey Elliott’s shot had to be stopped.
Klopp’s charges rued their ill luck, however, when Milner headed a corner and Fernandes crashed the ball towards his own goal only to be saved by Lisandro Martinez who blocked on the line and hacked away - another bright side last night was the Argentine defender.
After the break, Henderson failed to control one, and Anthony Martial, on for Elanga at the break, steered the ball to Rashford. Bursting in, the maligned forward beat Alisson with a sweet finish for a first league strike since January.
Liverpool could reduce the deficit - but the night belonged to Manchester United.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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