Liverpool and Manchester United produced another North-West derby but once again failed to live up to expectations. Similarly to the last year’s Anfield encounter, the two sides drew without goals.
It was a drab match in which Liverpool had more and better chances. Manchester United did not show much going forwards and were lucky not to concede on the day. However, a point from a derby played away from home is not going to be a too bad of a result. The manner of it is probably a bigger talking point in itself.
David De Gea Is World Class
The most important thing for this match. David De Gea was spectacular, as he usually is in these big games. It is very hard recalling his poor decision in a highly important clash and the Spaniard delivered once again.
He made five saves on the day and all of them in first half. This was yet another clean sheet for De Gea, seventh in eight Premier League matches. His incredible save of Joel Matip’s shot will be replayed in the months to come. After 720 minutes this season, De Gea faced 22 shots on goal, saving 20 of them. Currently, he is on another level.
👟⚽😅 Next step: @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/wlHghXH4co
— David De Gea (@D_DeGea) October 14, 2017
Lukaku’s Big Game Struggles
This was a poor match for the Belgian. Lukaku was very quiet this Saturday and his first shot of the match came just before half-time. He looked both isolated and frustrated at the lack of chances he was given. However, this was not out of ordinary.
It was his 36th Premier League match against the ‘top 6’ sides and Lukaku is still on just 5 goals scored in these appearances. Lukaku certainly looks lacking an edge when playing against better English clubs. His performances are drastically poorer and that is the area the striker will have to focus on improving the most.
Manchester United Do Not Love International Breaks
This was only the second Premier League match Manchester United have failed to win this season. Yet, it was the second they failed to win straight off an international break. The 2-2 draw at Stoke was also the first match after the players got back from all parts of the globe.
Jose Mourinho’s poor streak therefore continued. He is yet to win a match after an international break since he became Manchester United manager. Five draws and a loss in six matches are definitely not a coincidence. With over a dozen of international players leaving Manchester for international duty, it showed lack of freshness in the side.
Man United looked tired, especially Nemanja Matic by the end of the match. The whole team was not functioning and from the start of the match looked sluggish.
Too Much Hype
The third North-West derby in a row has ended with a draw. We have now seen only two goals in 270 minutes of football since the start of last season. However, these matches are always talked about the most. Yes, there is plenty of history between the Red Devils and Liverpool. Yet, there is a difference from constantly expecting the match to start and constantly expecting to enjoy a thrilling derby.
This was not the one either.
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