Liverpool vs Manchester United: 5 Things United Learned

In the 30 or so minutes since Liverpool and Manchester United finished their 1-1 draw at Anfield, I've been running two questions over and over through my head.

1. Is this the same Manchester United team that beat Arsenal 8-2 seven weeks ago?
   
   and
2. Did Ryan Giggs really just do that?

The answers: Sort of, and yes.

Now, obviously it didn't take 30 minutes to come to those answers. But the thing is, it's just so hard to believe either of them.

Yes, Manchester United demolished Arsenal 8-2 on August 28. That beatdown was part of United's outrageous five-game form at the beginning of the season—a run that resulted in 21 goals and five wins.

And yes, Ryan Giggs actually jumped out of the way to avoid a Steven Gerrard free kick that turned into the game's opening goal. Was he worried about having kids in the future? Did he think David de Gea had that side of the goal covered even though it was the same area the wall was defending?

We probably won't ever know.

Giggs got off the hook thanks to another fine finish by Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and a couple of late, great saves by de Gea.

But none of that makes it any easier to believe this United team has much in common with the one that swept aside all challengers at the beginning of the season. And it's hard to imagine Giggs—one of the club's most legendary players—made such a boneheaded mistake.

No matter, though. United got a point and maintained its unbeaten record. More importantly, it kept Liverpool six points behind.

So, while it was a weird day for Manchester United, it was still a successful one. Imagine that.

David De Gea Is Top Class

David de Gea had a bit of a rough start to his Old Trafford career.

On Saturday, though, he was Manchester United's man of the match.

In a big match like the North West derby, you want your players to play their best. It's a rivalry, bragging rights are on the line, and it's against a prestigious opponent.

De Gea stepped up. Not many of his teammates did.

The Spaniard made a decent save on Luis Suarez in what was the best chance of the first half. But he saved his best for last.

With Liverpool searching for a late winner, de Gea pulled off two outstanding saves to preserve the victory. First he saved Dirk Kuyt's snap shot, then he tipped away Jordan Henderson's lob at full stretch.

Chicharito will get plenty of plaudits for scoring the goal that earned United a draw, but de Gea did more than anyone else to preserve the point.

So Is Chicharito

Most of the pregame talk centered on Steven Gerrard's return for Liverpool and Wayne Rooney's absence for Manchester United.

Javier Hernandez turned out to be just as vital to the game's result.

He started on the bench and contributed instantly after coming on in the second half. He nearly scored with his first touch and went one step better with his excellent headed equalizer in the 81st minute.

At this point, Chicharito's presence in Manchester United's attack has become integral. His partnership with Rooney grows by the day, and he's proven to be a valuable part of United's success.

Danny Welbeck Can Do More Than Score

Danny Welbeck is a classic poacher. He consistently finds himself in the right place at the right time and turns his smart positioning into loads of goals.

On Saturday, though, he turned into a provider.

His headed flick set up Chicharito's goal. It was an excellent touch, one you'd expect from a top-class player.

Welbeck still has work to do if he wants to start consistently ahead of Rooney and Hernandez. But he's showing himself to be a great addition to the United strikeforce.

Phil Jones Can Play Him Some Midfield

And he can play it well.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson opted to start Phil Jones, normally a defender, as a sort of holding midfielder.

Perched just in front of the back four, Jones rewarded his manager with a commanding performance.

He gobbled up Liverpool passes, harassed Luis Suarez, broke up play and generally made sure the visitors had too little time to mount creative attacks.

In short, Jones did more than anyone else to help Manchester United hold out against Liverpool's superior possession for more than an hour.

He played the role well for Blackburn. Now he might get a reprise performance for United.

Based on Saturday's evidence, Jones could become a stalwart there.

August Feels Like a Long Time Ago

The early season dominance is over, and looking back, it seems obvious now that it couldn't have lasted.

But, boy, was it breathtaking. The passes flowed. The goals followed. The points came in bunches. Opposing teams—really, the entire league outside Manchester—cowered in their boots.

No more.

Stoke broke the streak with a draw, then Basel got another point against United in the Champions League. Ferguson's team responded with a win over Norwich that honestly looked worse than either draw.

On Saturday, United deserved to lose. Forget what the players and managers say. Liverpool was the better team for almost the entire 90 minutes. United rarely had the ball and created only one real chance—which it turned into a goal.

It's a long way from August and 8-2. But with another point in the bag, it's not really that important.

As ever, the result is the most important thing. And Manchester United got itself a good one on Saturday.