Monday 18 January 2016 10:32, UK
Graeme Souness has highlighted the importance of David de Gea to Manchester United after his man-of-the-match display against Liverpool.
De Gea, who came close to leaving in the summer to join Real Madrid, saved well from Adam Lallana and Emre Can as United won 1-0 at Anfield.
Wayne Rooney netted the winner to become the leading scorer for a single Premier League club with 176 goals.
But Souness praised the performance of De Gea after his eighth clean sheet of the season.
"You don't win big trophies without a top goalkeeper and, as Wayne will get the headlines for the goal and the record, you forget the part the goalkeeper played," Souness told Sky Sports.
When you are not playing well, he is digging them out of holes and he has been doing that for the last three or four years.
"He made a great save from Lallana and from Can. He is a proper goalkeeper. When you are not playing well, he is digging them out of holes and he has been doing that for the last three or four years. With a goalkeeper of that quality, you can win things by not being the best team."
Liverpool largely dominated proceedings at Anfield, but it was Louis van Gaal's side who took all three points after Marouane Fellaini headed against the bar in the 78th minute and Rooney finished from the rebound.
The win keeps United in touch with the top four while Liverpool remain ninth in the table.
"If you have world-class players like De Gea and Rooney, sometimes you can ride out the storm and do what they have done today," said former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel
"It's the way football is being played in this country at the moment. Not a lot of things happening in games, then you get a set piece, the other team switches off slightly and Man Utd took advantage. It's three very unexpected points, I don't think United played very well at all."
While Liverpool had 19 shots and enjoyed more of the possession, they have now lost their last four meetings with United.
"Whatever you say about Man Utd, and Liverpool were probably the better team, it doesn't matter in games like that," said ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
"Maybe in the bigger picture it does, but you see the scenes with the Utd fans and players and these games are about winning."
