Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Anthony Martial marked his Manchester United debut with a brilliant goal as the Red Devils beat rivals Liverpool 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.
Following a dour first half, United took the lead in the 49th minute as Daley Blind finished a clever set-piece routine. Ander Herrera doubled the hosts' advantage from the penalty spot before Christian Benteke pulled a goal back for Liverpool with an impressive overhead kick.
But Martial had the last word, sealing the points for his new club with a superb individual goal in his first appearance with Manchester United.
Here, B/R selects winners and losers from Saturday's match.
Winner: Anthony Martial
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Manchester United shelled out £36 million to sign 19-year-old French forward Anthony Martial on deadline day. But that's not even completely true. That £36 million only represents the initial fee United paid to Monaco. In all, the teenager could cost his new club £58.8 million, depending on add-ons, as noted by ESPN FC.
United manager Louis van Gaal admitted it was a "ridiculous" amount to pay, as reported by the Times (h/t the Guardian), and yet the sum didn't seem quite so exorbitant when Martial lit up Old Trafford with a brilliant goal on Saturday in his debut.
Christian Benteke had just scored a golazo of his own moments before to give Liverpool hope at 2-1, but in the 86th minute, Martial sealed the points with a breathtaking show of skill. Accepting the ball on the left flank, Martial cut into the middle, sliced through a pair of defenders and slotted past Simon Mignolet.
Old Trafford blew up, and it was easy to understand why. The skills on display—speed, control, power and finishing—brought to mind Thierry Henry in his pomp, and the ease with which Martial tore Liverpool apart was truly impressive.
"When you make a goal like Anthony you cannot wish for more, I think," Van Gaal told BBC Sport. "A lot of players have made a debut and scored with me so it's a good signal."
A good signal indeed. Martial still has some way to go in justifying his enormous transfer fee, but Saturday was a wonderful start.
Loser: Any and Every Spectator Who Endured the 1st Half
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In the second half, United and Liverpool produced four goals, a pair of golazos and 45 minutes of mostly thrilling football. At halftime, though, none of that seemed possible.
In the first 45 minutes, neither team managed a shot on target. And during that time, neither side really looked interested in being there. Passion, pace and urgency were in short supply, as was any semblance of entertainment.
Liverpool looked clueless, and United—who dominated possession—lacked a cutting edge. It made for a dire half, as multiple observers pointed out on Twitter.
"Watching Man Utd Liverpool after today's Real Madrid game is like getting a Big Mac after a Michelin starred tasting menu," tweeted journalist Phil Kitromilides.
"You have to keep reminding yourself that this is Man United v Liverpool," tweeted the Times' Tony Barrett. "Very little quality & not much passion either. Mundane."
Winner: Daley Blind
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Daley Blind broke the deadlock early in the second half with an emphatic finish, slamming in a first-time shot after running onto Juan Mata's rolled free kick. The brilliant strike put a perfect final touch on a well worked set-piece routine, and Blind must be pleased with how he took the chance.
The Dutchman later headed off the line as Liverpool tried to find a way back into the game. Thus Blind made vital contributions at both ends of the pitch. Louis van Gaal must be happy with his center-back's performance.
Loser: Brendan Rodgers
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From start to finish, Liverpool were comfortably second-best against Manchester United. The visitors lacked ambition for most of the game, sitting back to defend almost from the opening whistle. Only after United went ahead did Liverpool make any kind of impression in the attacking third.
Manager Brendan Rodgers must shoulder some of the blame for the performance. The Northern Irishman made some odd choices with his starting XI—for instance, sending Danny Ings to play at left wing on his first Premier League start for Liverpool. And for most of the 90 minutes, the Reds didn't seem to be playing with a coherent plan.
"(I) tipped Lpool to finish 4th this season," tweeted Mark Ogden of the Daily Telegraph. "Moment of madness, clearly. Look miles away from that."
Liverpool started the season with back-to-back victories and played Arsenal to a scoreless draw at the Emirates. But in their last two games, the Reds have conceded six goals in losing to West Ham United and Manchester United. If any goodwill was left over from the fast start, it's probably gone now.
At ESPN FC, David Usher noted: "Liverpool's attacking play has been poor all season, and while this was an improvement on the West Ham performance two weeks ago, it was still hugely disappointing, and Rodgers has a lot of work to do to turn this around."
And so, it's hard to imagine Rodgers won't be feeling pressure now. His side lost to a rival on Saturday and looked poor in doing so. His squad selection was odd in places, and his players looked rudderless at times on the pitch.
A positive response is necessary next week against Norwich City.
Winner: Christian Benteke
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Granted, Christian Benteke did not make a huge impact on Saturday's game. Liverpool mounted dangerous attacks only rarely, and the Belgian striker received precious little service from his teammates.
But after that goal, Benteke has to be a winner.
In the 84th minute, the ball popped into the air high over Manchester United's box. Benteke positioned himself under its path and, with his back to goal, fired in an acrobatic shot with a perfectly executed overhead kick.
Such a move is one of the most spectacular moves in all of football, and Benteke pulled it off effortlessly.
Winner: David De Gea
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At this time two weeks ago, Manchester United's David De Gea must have believed he would be a Real Madrid player by now. But the goalkeeper's long-anticipated move to the Spanish capital fell apart at the last minute, and he responded by signing a new, four-year deal with United.
So although De Gea may have to wait a while longer to join Real Madrid, he'll be comforted by the fact that he's just received a hefty pay-raise. And before the match, the home fans at Old Trafford showed their appreciation of his services with a huge ovation.
With that in mind, his performance against Liverpool almost didn't matter. But in his first start of the season, De Gea made a couple of good saves and helped his side win. He was beaten by Christian Benteke's spectacular overhead kick, but he made up for it with expert stops on Danny Ings and Jordon Ibe in the second half.
For United, meanwhile, De Gea's presence can only be a good thing. The Spaniard was brilliant in goal last season, and a similar run in 2015-16 would give the Red Devils a boost in their bid for a top-four spot.
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