The Sunday Mail
Man United ………………..2
Liverpool ………………….. 1
MARCUS RASHFORD yesterday chose a good day to remind Manchester United of his penetrative qualities.
This was the first time since his debut, in February 2016, that he has scored twice.
He did it with Gareth Southgate, the England manager, watching from the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and it was the one Mancunian on the pitch who, ultimately, conjured up the decisive moments in the battle of the Premier League’s second and third-placed teams.
While Rashford produced one of his better performances of the season, restored to the team after a difficult period for him personally since Alexis Sánchez’s arrival, Liverpool’s problem was that none of their big hitters reached their usual levels.
Mohamed Salah, in particular, took a long time before he started to carry any real menace and it was unusual as well for Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané to be so ineffective.
Jürgen Klopp would be entitled to think his players had enough of the ball in the second half to rescue themselves but for all their pressure in the closing stages, including six minutes of stoppage-time when the drama was at its highest, they continued to lack their usual wit and creativity and all they had to show for it was Eric Bailly’s eccentric own goal.
“The two goals made the game not easy,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “We had a lot of OK moments, two good moments in the first half where we could finish better. We didn’t score before half-time and then in the second half we chased the game.
“It is really difficult to do against a team like Manchester United.”
The Liverpool manager felt his side should have had a penalty in the 82nd minute when Sadio Mané was challenged by substitute Marouane Fellaini.
“It was a clear penalty with Fellaini on Mané, in situations like this you need the right decision,” Klopp said. “It is all about the result and we lost.”
José Mourinho believed United deserved the win despite Liverpool’s revival in the second half. “We can split the halves – United first half and Liverpool second but in my opinion our first half was a half with goals and danger,” the manager said.
“In the second half – in my opinion – was Liverpool controlling with the ball and United controlling without the ball.
“Our team was always in control. Even in set pieces, corners, dangerous situations we were in control, so I think we deserved it.
“Against Liverpool if you play bad when you have the ball you can be in trouble.
“In the second half it was not our intention – I cannot say this was the plan. Liverpool pushed us into defensive situations but we kept control.
“It was a complete performance by us with two different halves. If people don’t think we deserved it, I don’t care.” — Guardian
Opta Stats
· Man Utd defeated Liverpool for the 68th time in league competition; this is the most defeats that Liverpool have suffered against a single side.
· Liverpool have won only one of their seven Premier League games on the weekends immediately following playing a Champions League game this season (W1 D4 L2).
· Man Utd have won 20 of their 30 Premier League games this season, already surpassing their totals in both 2016-17 (18) and 2015-16 (19) and equalling their number of league wins in 2014-15 (20).
· Only Man Utd (67) have profited from more own goals in the Premier League than Liverpool (58).
· Marcus Rashford has scored seven of his 16 Premier League goals against teams in the ‘big six’ (44 percent).
· Marcus Rashford has scored with 29 percent of his shots in the Premier League against ‘big six’ clubs, compared to a 10 percent ratio against the other teams.
· Romelu Lukaku now has seven Premier League assists this season; more than he has in any previous campaign.
