Monday 18 January 2016 17:06, UK
Wayne Rooney struck the winning goal as Manchester United eased the pressure on Louis van Gaal with a narrow 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.
The United skipper fired home from close-range in the 78th minute after Marouane Fellaini's header had come back off the crossbar.
From Van Gaal's vindication to Liverpool's set piece struggles, here are the main talking points from the game…
Vindication for Van Gaal?
Van Gaal has had plenty of dark days in charge of Manchester United but he certainly enjoys facing Liverpool. This was the Red Devils' fourth consecutive Premier League win over their old rivals, and the Dutchman will see this particular victory as vindication of his style.
Indeed, what does only having one shot on target matter if that shot provides the winning goal? United recovered from a rocky start to contain Liverpool for long periods and they were organisationally and defensively much improved from the 3-3 draw with Newcastle - even if it came at the cost of entertainment.
"Whatever you say about Manchester United there today, it doesn't matter in games like that," said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. "Maybe it does in the bigger picture, but today, for the United fans and players, these games are about winning, and that's what they've done."
Graeme Souness added: "Man United will gather great confidence from that result today. The momentum is with them."
Liverpool's blunt attack
There was a moment in the second half when the camera panned to the injured Daniel Sturridge in the stands. What Jurgen Klopp would do to have the 26-year-old fit and firing now. The Reds desperately lacked cutting edge, with Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Emre Can taking it in turns to miss presentable scoring chances.
Liverpool had 19 shots to United's seven, but their wastefulness ended up costing them dearly, and for Carragher, it felt like a familiar scenario. "Before the game you're thinking who will get the goals?" he said. "It has been a problem for them all season."
Milner, Lallana and Firmino offered plenty of industry as Liverpool's front three, but between them they only mustered a single shot on target. The lack of end product is a growing concern for Klopp, and Carragher was particularly critical of Lallana, who spurned a one-on-one opportunity in the early stages.
"It sums up Adam Lallana's Liverpool career," Carragher said. "He nearly scores, he nearly creates a goal. He's not clinical enough or aggressive enough." Liverpool invested £25m in Lallana, but the former Southampton man has now gone seven months without scoring in the Premier League.
De Gea shines
While Liverpool bemoan their struggles in front of goal, however, Manchester United can celebrate another decisive display from their goalkeeper David de Gea, who picked up the man-of-the-match award for his efforts.
De Gea was alert to deny Lallana in the 10th minute, but his best stops came after the break, when he diverted Can's diagonal drive wide of the post before producing a flying save to deny the Germany international for a second time.
"Before the game I said you win no big trophies without a top goalkeeper," said Souness. "Wayne Rooney will get the headlines but you forget the part the goalkeeper played in this. He's digging them out of holes and he's done that for the last three or four years. With a goalkeeper like that, you can win things despite not being the best football team."
Rooney strikes again
For the first time since March 2012, Rooney has scored in four consecutive games for Manchester United. This was not a vintage performance from the skipper, who cut a peripheral figure for much of the encounter, but he emphatically dispatched his chance when it came, and his 176th Premier League goal for United gives him the highest total anyone has managed for one club.
"I don't think United played very well at all but when you've got players like De Gea and Rooney in your team sometimes you can ride out the storm and do what they did today," said former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel in the Sky Sports studio.
For Evertonian Rooney, a first goal at Anfield since 2005 tasted sweet. "It's great to have records but I don't think that will beat the feeling of scoring the winning goal at Anfield," he said. "I'll be a bit selfish today and enjoy that one more than most."
Liverpool's defensive weakness
Manchester United's goal showed Liverpool have problems at the back as well as in attack. Klopp's men have now conceded seven goals from corners this season - more than any other Premier League side - and there was a series of defensive errors in the build up to Rooney's winner.
First, Jordon Ibe failed to close down the cross, then Henderson failed to pick up Fellaini, and lastly Rooney was left free at the far post. "We didn't prevent the cross, we lost Fellaini and lost Rooney," said a rueful Klopp in his post-match press conference. "They got the goal and there was not enough time to get back into the game."
Schmeichel added: "The thing about this is the confusion between man marking and zonal marking. There were four guys going for the same ball, which eventually leaves Wayne Rooney unmarked. You don't leave someone like him unmarked in the box."
