Crisis club Manchester United put in an invigorated performance on Monday night to beat rivals Liverpool 2-1 – Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, the scorers. The Red Devils leapfrogged their opponents in the Premier League table as a result.
Protestors riled up along the outskirts of Old Trafford, stopping momentarily to greet Brazil international Casemiro, whose signing was confirmed shortly before kick-off by United. Things were already looking up for the Red Devils faithful with a new defensive midfielder in the building; they got a lot better once the game kicked off and Erik ten Hag’s side took control of the proceedings.
Targeting the unfamiliar partnership between Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk and the space between the former and Trent Alexander-Arnold over on his side, the Red Devils broke with pace whenever presented with the opportunity. Ten minutes in, at the end of one such fast break, youngster Anthony Elanga hit the post – a let-off for Liverpool, if only for a short while.
As the clock turned into minute 16, Elanga burst past Alexander-Arnold on the left before pulling the ball back for Jadon Sancho. The Englishman kept his composure as James Milner threw himself to the ground attempting to block his shot; with Alisson veering towards the other side and van Dijk refusing to close the ground, the attacker rolled the ball into the net for the opening goal of the game.
Ten Hag switched things up at the interval, sending Anthony Martial in place of Elanga. A star performer for United in pre-season, Martial intercepted a loose ball inside his half and threaded it through for Marcus Rashford in the 53rd minute.
With acres of space ahead of him and enough time to pick his spot, the England international slammed the ball into the corner to put the Red Devils 2-0 up on the night.
Dubious defending from a set-piece allowed Mohamed Salah to pull a goal back for Liverpool in the 81st minute, ensuring a nail-biting finish to the game. However, Manchester United stayed compact, allowing no room for the Liverpool attackers to work with, and saw out the win – their first of the season.
