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Manchester United welcomed Liverpool to Old Trafford in what was dubbed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's biggest test till date. It was not just the race to the 4th place that was at stake here - Manchester United vs Liverpool is a fixture steeped in history and there are always more than 3 points on the line when these two giants of the Premier League meet.
Interestingly, it was the defeat to Liverpool at Anfield that cost Jose Mourinho his job. As such, it was a night when Solskjaer needed to lay down a marker and prove that he was the right man to take the Red Devils forward. However, he was dealt with a huge blow before the start of the game.
Nemanja Matic was ruled out of the fixture due to a muscle injury, that could see him sidelined for a couple of weeks. Anthony Martial could not recover in time to make the matchday squad and as such, the Norwegian was without two of his most important players on the night. However, Lingard did make it to the bench, providing some consolidation to his manager.
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However, Herrera and Mata picked up injuries in the first half and had to be replaced. To make matters worse, Lingard, who had come on as a substitute, had to be taken off just before the break.
However, United kept their composure and even matched Liverpool at times to make it an interesting second half. The tie ended 0-0, and here are 5 takeaways from the game.
#5 Injuries cost Manchester United
Within the first 20 minutes, Manchester United fans almost had a heart attack. Following Henderson’s crunch tackle, Marcus Rashford stayed down, clutching his leg. For the next few minutes, the youngster wobbled around the pitch, visibly in distress.
Solskjaer first instructed Lingard to start warming up and soon Sanchez was up on the touchline too. However, minutes later, Herrera pulled a hamstring and had to be replaced by Pereira. For a United team who were already without Matic, losing the Spaniard was a big blow.
It was Mata’s turn next, who had previously indicated his anguish to the bench. The Spaniard seemed to have pulled his hamstring too and finally had to be replaced by Lingard. The Englishman did not last too long either and had to be replaced by Sanchez just before the break.
As such, United are short of at least 4 first team players – Matic, Herrera, Lingard, and Martial – before the next game against Crystal Palace. Rashford will also be a doubt before the game and Solskjaer will be a worried man.
#4 United missed Matic
Right from the kickoff, it was apparent that United were missing Nemanja Matic. Scot McTominay failed to replicate the same impact from the middle of the field and even though he grew in confidence as the game progressed, there were several instances where everyone was reminded of how important Matic is to this team.
The Serbian shields the back four and picks up the pieces in front of the box. He is extremely important in implementing the discipline that holds the team together when they are chasing the ball. And when he has the ball, he dictates the tempo from the deep and can pick out glorious balls that unleash the forward players. With him in the team, Pogba and Herrera play without fear and with the knowledge that the Serbian has their back.
Without Matic, United looked vulnerable and Herrera and Pogba had to be wary all the time. It is clear that United do not have a back up for Matic in their team and that is something that Solskjaer should be worried about.
#3 Solskjaer manages to keep Salah quiet
Luke Shaw had one of the toughest jobs on the day – attending to Salah. The Egyptian is the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner and is leading the race to become this season’s top scorer as well.
His speed and technical ability are second to none, while his finishing ability is among the best in the world as well. As such, Shaw was supposed to have his hands full on the night, but the Englishman dealt with the threat extremely well.
Every time Salah had the ball, Shaw was on his case in an instant and did not allow him to turn to his favored left side. The Egyptian was denied any room and had a poor day on the pitch. Shaw stayed close to him and in the process, even sacrificed his attacking instincts.
The Egyptian did not have a single shot on target and drifted out of the tie as the game grew older. In the end, he was so poor that Klopp had to take him off. As such, Salah’s drought against Manchester United continues, as the Egyptian is yet to score against the Red Devils.
#2 The home team had chances to win the game
Even though United were in the back foot early in the game due to the injuries, they had better chances on the night and could have won the game as well. Solskjaer’s adherence to a counter-attacking football ensured that the home side always looked deadly on the break and with a little more precision, they could have sealed the game.
The first arrive in the first half, when Lingard almost got to the end of a Lukaku through ball, forcing Alisson into a good save. After the break, United had more chances on the break and Young played a great ball to Rashford, who, had he been 100% fit, could have scored – he had scored similarly against Tottenham and Leicester.
Then there were a few set pieces where United looked dangerous but was caught offside. In fact, United did have the ball in the back of the net – through Matip – but Smalling was correctly judged offside.
As such, the game was there for the home side and with a little more precision, they could have made the evening memorable.
#1 United showed tremendous tenacity in adversity
Solskjaer was without his midfield anchor at the start of the game. After 20 minutes, he lost his midfield dynamo. A little later, he lost his false 9 and by the end of the first half, the substitute had to be substituted. It was a horrible time for the Norwegian, and perhaps he would have gladly taken a point at half time.
However, there is a tenacity about the Baby faced assassin. There is a relentless desire about him that refuses to surrender. Having been a part of the glorious United team of old, defeat was an alien culture to Solskjaer. He had been bred in victories and it seems that the Norwegian has successfully instilled the same qualities in his team as well.
Faced with extreme adversities, United rose to the occasion. Every player battled on the night; they became warriors and as such, this draw was a glowing marker of the fact that United are on the rise. There will be no more meek surrenders under the Norwegian’s watch.
