English Premier League Match Review
Started with lofty expectations from both sets of fans and decided with a comical error made by Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard, this match was a trailer of the famous rivalry that has been present between both of these sides for a long time.
Having produced the 2nd most number of red cards amongst any fixture in the top tier of English football, today was nothing different as both teams strived to do that extra mile to reach the winning position. However, as the score-line suggests, it was the team from Manchester that came back with a win.
Here are 4 things that we learned from this fixture: –
Juan Mata can be Mr. dependable for Manchester United
While Louis Van Gaal decided to take the gamble by sending Mata in in place of Angel Di Maria, the Spaniard – with his delightful performance which was epitomized with a career defining goal, inflicted the misery on Liverpool. In a Manchester United team that has craved for creativity this season, Juan Mata can become a Mr. dependable for the Red devils for long term.
One error decided the game
Going into the half time conceding 80% possession to the visitors, Brendan Rodgers decided to send his most potent weapon right from the offset of the first half. Having scored 7 goals in his last 11 appearances for the Reds in this fixture, Steven Gerrard had all the credentials to be the savior of the Reds today.
However, call it rush of blood that just under a minute after coming of, the Reds’ skipper was going back into the dugout and on his heavy and slumped shoulders, he might well have carried away the chance that was there for Liverpool to finish in the top 4 this season.
Raheem Sterling was poor
Amid a contract row that has seen his standing front of his manager Brendan Rodgers, today’s performance would have only weakened his stance of getting paid over the odds after today’s match. Demanding in the region of 150k per week from the Merseyside outfit, the Jamaica born winger was everything but ‘’valuable’’ today.
There is still a long way to go for both teams
Going after the final whistle with a healthy 5 point lead over Liverpool, Manchester United fans have every reason to believe that they will return into the Champions League last season. Beating Liverpool is one thing for the rivalry factor, beating them at a time when they haven’t lost a game in a while takes it to an even higher level. However, if you look at the fixture list of both of Manchester United with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton still remaining, today’s win is surely a step but not a destination.
Talking about Liverpool and although they will be feeling worse today, the Reds have every reason to believe that the top 4 is still in the offing. Thus, with only 8 fixtures to go in this season’s Premier League, the Reds still have the chance to defy the odds and be in the Champions League next season.
Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United: 4 things we learned
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