Manchester United defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford to register their first win of the Premier League Season. Erik Ten Hag made 4 changes before the match and it paid off. Youngsters Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford scored terrific goals before Moh Salah got one back for his side in the dying minutes.
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Manchester United unveiled their newest signing Casemiro before the match at Old Trafford.
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Ten Hag dropped Cristiano Ronaldo and the team captain Harry Maguire from the starting lineup. Luke Shaw and Fred were also dropped. Instead of them, he gave chances to Rafael Varane, Tyrell Malacia, Scott McTominay, and Anthony Elanga.
The result was fruitful for Man Utd as they ran past Liverpool’s defenses with brilliant teamwork. They started nicely and almost scored a goal through Elanga. Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes exchanged passes before Anthony Elanga hit the base post. It was a missed opportunity but United made their intentions clear.
They continued their assault and were rewarded through Jadon Sancho at the 16th-minute mark. Eriksen and Anthony Elanga swapped passes and the latter picked out Sancho who dragged back and made James Milner go down. He elegantly slotted the ball in the corner to secure a well-deserved lead.
Liverpool’s defense was all over the place and once again Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive capabilities are questioned.
Manchester United secures famous win at OT
United dipped a little before halftime. This gave Liverpool a few missed chances. At halftime, Anthony Martial replaced the injured Elanga and United doubled down on Liverpool’s defenses. Martial latched on the ball from Henderson’s and passed it to Marcus Rashford who beat Trent by speed and then beat Alisson at the near post.
The goal looked tight on the offside but the VAR allowed it. United was 2-0 up by the 53rd minute and Liverpool was limping for something. Alisson later turned down Rashford who poked a low shot at him. But the goal ended his 997-minute wait as he scored for the first time in the league since January.
Jurgen Klopp sent in Fabinho later in the match. Liverpool finally responded with a late Mohamed Salah goal who amidst the chaos in the United box from a corner sent the ball in the net. However, there wasn’t much for Liverpool all game except the lone goal and United secured a famous win against their arch-rivals at Old Trafford.
Reactions from managers after the match
Jurgen Klopp to Sky Sports – “They were really aggressive in the beginning it was clear…but reality shows if you are really ready. They were more aggressive than us. They hit the post, it was a hectic game. They scored the opener then we took over and played the game we wanted…It would be helpful to score in this moment and to go in 1-1 at half-time…We then conceded the second which doesn’t help, then we score and it’s a hectic game – it definitely not the result we wanted.”
Erik Ten Hag – “It’s all about attitude. They had a fighting spirit, it was f—ing good. It’s only the start, we have to stay humble, we can play better if we keep our composure…when you have to make the game you have to be better on the ball.”
Manchester United has broken the deadlock and will travel to Southampton on Saturday. Liverpool on the other hand has failed to win any of their first 3 fixtures. They will host Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday and hope to register their first win of the season.
