Louis Van Gaal and Juan Mata Enjoy Defining Days as Man Utd Beat Liverpool

It's been a long time coming. Louis van Gaal has been talking since the summer about his "Juventus moment." 

It was in Turin that it all clicked into place for Van Gaal at Bayern Munich. And after Manchester United beat Liverpool on Sunday, it may well be that Anfield is remembered in the same way.

But it wasn't just Van Gaal who had what might turn out to be his defining day. Juan Mata, after his two goals either side of half-time won the game, might look back on Liverpool as the place the pieces of his United career began to fall into place.

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Anfield can be a wonderful place for a United player or manager. The fans still sing about Diego Forlan after his two goals beat Liverpool in 2002. John O'Shea's last-minute winner in front of the Kop in 2007 made him an instant idol.

For Mata, his heroics could mean even more than that. He has struggled to find his place since arriving at Old Trafford from Chelsea. He has been in and out of the team this season. It has seemed, at times, that Van Gaal hasn't needed much of an excuse to leave him out.

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He might not have started against Liverpool if Angel Di Maria was in better form. But starting on the right of United's front three, he was the match-winner, scoring first with a calm finish from Ander Herrera's pass and then with a perfectly executed scissor kick. 

As Mata told BT Sport (h/t ESPN FC), he would prefer to be playing as a No. 10. But his options at the moment are learn to play on the right or don't play at all. And if his performances against Tottenham and Liverpool are anything to go by, he's doing a good job of adapting to his new role. 

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So good, in fact, that Di Maria, the most expensive player in British football history, might have to again settle for a place on the bench against Aston Villa in two weeks' time.

It'll be against Villa and against Chelsea and Manchester City in the following weeks that we'll know whether this is a false dawn for United. But the way they pressed Liverpool in the first half, stayed compact in defence and broke with speed and purpose hints that Van Gaal's philosophy is starting to sink in.

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Van Gaal has always appeared steadfast in the belief that his players eventually would get it. And now games against Chelsea, City and Arsenal in the run-in suddenly don't seem quite so daunting. 

There is little question that Van Gaal is a good manager and Mata a good player. But, until Sunday, neither had enjoyed their best days at United. It's still early. But there were signs at Anfield for both that it might be about to change.