Jose Mourinho did a proper job on Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpress as his side took a 2-0 lead inside half an hour at Old Trafford and ultimately went on to steal all three points from their arch rivals in Liverpool on Saturday. Youngster Marcus Rashford showed great finishing prowess to take the only real chances that were created early in the game as the hosts ran away into a 2-0 lead in the 24th minute.
Liverpool looked a different side in the second half, dominating the ball and were given a lifeline when Eric Bailly put one past David de Gea, to set up a tense finish. But United’s mettle at the back was enough for them to see out the game as Klopp remains without a victory over Liverpool’s rivals, for yet another season. They now fall five points behind United and here are the player ratings for their side in this tie:
Loris Karius (6):
Was not at fault for either goal and had very little to do otherwise, except a couple of punches from crosses and corners.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (4):
Failed to keep up with Rashford, as he allowed him to drift inside in the build-up to both goals, and turned into a weak link for the Reds for the rest of the game.
Dejan Lovren (5):
Should have done better against Lukaku in the build-up to both the goals but was otherwise hardly tested.
Virgil van Dijk (6):
Won a number of headers and a few tackles but United decided to target Lovren, leaving Van Dijk free.
Andrew Robertson (5):
Happy to venture forward on a number of occasions but was unable to provide the final ball that could break the United defence.
Emre Can (6):
Dug himself into the midfield battles and though he did not win all of them, did well to keep United on their toes and away from creating too many chances.
James Milner (5):
Popped up a couple of times at the edge of the box but did not do enough to create clear-cut chances for his side.
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain (4):
Was really poor in the first half and was subbed off early in the second, just as he looked like getting into some rhythm.
Mohamed Salah (4):
Was closely marked by Smalling and Young and was hardly afforded time and space on the ball as he failed to have any impact on Liverpool’s attack.
Roberto Firmino (6):
Liverpool’s best player in attack as he looked to take on the United defenders but did not do enough to take even a point from this game.
Sadio Mane (6):
Was happy to get beyond the backline and his cross led to the own goal. Drifted inside in the second half and did not find too much of joy.
Substitutes:
Adam Lallana (5):
Added some creativity to the midfield but not enough to find the back of the net.
Georginio Wijnaldum (N/A)
Dominic Solanke (N/A)
