Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool : Five Talking Points

Goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin Van Persie were enough to give Manchester United their sixth-straight win and heap more misery on Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool. Here are the major talking points from the game.

#1 Liverpool lack hunger and desire

Before the start of the game, Rodgers spoke of how his team needed to be more technical and said that was the reason why he started without a recognised striker. But in the big games, you need to be physically and mentally strong, unfortunately for Rodgers, Liverpool weren't and that is why they slumped to their seventh league defeat of the season.

Although the Reds started on the front foot, they didn't take their chances, while the home side displayed plenty of grit and determination in not just holding on, but then hitting the visitors with the perfect sucker punch. Having technical players is all well and good, but if you can't get the results, then it is of no use and that seems to be the problem now for Liverpool.

#2 Is De Gea the best goalkeeper in the world?

It is not very often that a team that wins 3-0 and their goalkeeper is voted the Man of the Match. But that is precisely what happened on Sunday as Liverpool ran into an inspired De Gea. The Spanish shot-stopper delivered another world-class performance, even if his manager wasn't forthcoming with praise as he claimed his fifth clean sheet.

Although there are plenty of keepers who are good shot-stoppers, one of the hallmarks of a truly great keeper is his composure and ability to come out on top in one-on-one situations. Liverpool tried their utmost, first through Raheem Sterling and then Mario Balotelli, but they simply couldn't find a way past the goalkeeper who was in supreme command of his goal.

#3 Rooney\'s makeshift midfield role should be just that

There are very few footballers in the world right now, who are as versatile and effective as Rooney is, in so many different positions. Asked to play in central midfield against Liverpool, the 29-year-old showed just why man think that he is an ideal replacement for Paul Scholes in the centre of that midfield.

Whether it was giving delightful cross-field balls or arriving late in the box to score crucial goals, Rooney certainly shows more than a passing resemblance to Scholes. Although he is well suited to playing in that position, he is better off up-front, where can score and create more goals as was evident in the third goal United scored. There will certainly be a time when he is better off as a central midfielder, but that time isn't now and that is why Louis Van Gaal must stick to playing him up front.

#4 Carrick reinventing himself as a centre back

Michael Carrick has started six games this season and the Red Devils have won all of them. Although the truth isn't as simple as that, there is no denying how important the return of the Englishman has been. After the game, van Persie, who scored his seventh goal against Liverpool in nine games, spoke about how calm and composed Carrick is on the ball.

That is precisely what United needed when they have constantly had to reshuffle the back four. Whether he is playing as a central midfielder or a centre back, the 33-year-old's composure on the ball and ability to sniff out danger has been an integral part of United's six-game winning run that now sees them just five points behind Manchester City, in second place.

#5 Crucial week ahead for Liverpool

These last seven days were always going to be one of the most crucial periods of the season for Liverpool. Had the Reds won against Basel, they would have come into the game against United with renewed belief. But having been dumped out of the Champions League, the Reds came in to Old Trafford, low on confidence and leave Manchester 10 points behind their opponents and with a trip to Bournemouth in the Quarter final of the Capital One Cup and a daunting home clash against Arsenal in the next seven days.

How they perform in those games will undoubtedly define their season and two more losses, would heap more pressure on Rodgers who might even be out of a job, barely a few months on from being crowned the Manager of the Year.