Manchester United were dished out a lesson in the Premier League on Sunday as they whimpered to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool. The Red Devils were ultimately embarrassed as the visitors cut them open time and time again, with United fans booing during the second period after Alejandro Garnacho was taken off.
Luis Diaz continued his fine start to the campaign by bagging a brace before the interval as Casemiro found himself at fault for both goals. Mohamed Salah then found the back of the net in the second half after laying on Diaz’s strikes.
And Express Sport takes a look at five talking points from the huge encounter in the north west...
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Casemiro suffers new low
United were tipped to cash in on Casemiro during the summer transfer window after interest from the Saudi Pro League. And INEOS will be ruing their failure to get him out of the door.
Casemiro was absolutely dreadful against the Merseyside outfit and gave the ball away for both of Liverpool’s goals in the first half. United should have learned their lesson following the Brazilian’s performance against Crystal Palace at the end of last season. But Erik ten Hag has continued to play him this time around.
And Casemiro suffered a new low when he was hooked at half-time and replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer, who had only ever featured once for the Red Devils first-team ahead of the match. This was his Premier League debut.
Ten Hag can’t start seasons well
Ten Hag started his Old Trafford career with back-to-back Premier League defeats against Brighton and Brentford two years ago. And last season his side lost four of their opening seven top-flight matches.
This season, Ten Hag has overseen two losses in three matches. And it’s not good enough for a club of United’s stature, with the Red Devils forced to play catch-up every season under the Dutchman. INEOS may well already be asking questions of the 54-year-old after deciding to keep him on and hand him a new deal following a review at the end of the last campaign.
And United fans appeared to direct their anger at the manager with their booing when Garnacho departed proceedings.
Same old issues for Red Devils
United have been vilified for years due to a lack of intensity in key matches. They were far too passive against Arne Slot’s men and allowed the game to run away from them. Old Trafford was once a place where every home player wore the shirt with pride - but players don’t fight like they used to.
Bruno Fernandes could have chased back with more desire for the opening goal, with Dion Dublin exclaiming on BBC Five Live before the break: “Too many United players just watching to see what happens.” And in the second half, the former England striker stated: “Liverpool are absolutely wiping the floor with United at this time.” He then added: “United just standing, hands on hips.”
Zirkzee may not be the answer
When Liverpool have signed new players, those aces have made huge impressions at Anfield. United’s signings in recent years have been underwhelming. And, while it’s too early to cast judgement after his summer arrival, Joshua Zirkzee made virtually no positive impact on the match.
He missed a huge chance with 25 minutes remaining and could have scored on a number of other occasions. Ten Hag barely has goal scorers, let alone matchwinners.
Decision to bring the 7-0 sign not unwise
One Liverpool fan brought a sign to hold up that alluded to the Reds’ 7-0 victory over the 13-time Premier League champions last year. It didn’t quite get to that stage, but Liverpool had plenty of chances to embarrass their rivals further.
It’s worth bringing the sign to future showdowns based on this performance!
