Many things can be said about Manchester United after the match on Sunday. However, most can agree that this was a sluggish performance for the team. There was an uncharacteristic lack of composure and sportsmanship from the captain, Bruno Fernandes. Some blame Man Utd for crumbling under pressure, whereas others state that almost any defence would crumble under Liverpool’s new, improved lethal front three. It has been nearly a century since Manchester United lost this badly.

1. What happened to Manchester United
during their visit to Anfield?
Many things can be said about Manchester United after the match on Sunday. However, most
can agree that this was a sluggish performance for the team. There was an uncharacteristic lack
of composure and sportsmanship from the captain, Bruno Fernandes. Some blame Man Utd for
crumbling under pressure, whereas others state that almost any defence would crumble under
Liverpool’s new, improved lethal front three. It has been nearly a century since Manchester
United lost this badly.
The Game Itself
The 7 - 0 loss was a historic moment that fans will be quick to sweep under the rug. However,
the game was still wholly undecided during the first half with Manchester United holding their
own with two chances created early on during the first half by Bruno Fernandes and Marcus
Rashford respectively. United continued to pile on the pressure, with a rightfully offside header
by Casemiro. These changes showed that although with nothing to show for it at that point, Ten
Hag’s team could put up a good fighting chance and even looked to be the favourites by some.
The two teams traded blocked and misplaced shots for the first 43 minutes of the half, with
Liverpool breaking the deadlock after going on the counter moments after Casemiro’s
disallowed header. Liverpool spurred forward and Gakpo netted a well-deserved arced shot into
the bottom right of United’s net, beating De Gea. With the first half ending and Man Utd already
on the back foot, many speculated that this was going to be a hard-fought fight for an equaliser.

2. The second half was nothing less than a nightmare for Ten Hag and his men, with him stating
that players were not sticking to his instructions and becoming disorganised and lethargic in the
face of adversity. Manchester United fell for almost every trap the home side had set out for
them in the second half, with them conceding every time they were on the defence. This
difference is also shown in the stats, with Manchester United having 10 fewer shots on goal than
Liverpool. The new attacking trio facing that plagued Man Utd each scored 2 goals, being the
4th trio in Premier League history to do so. The game ended with United fans leaving the
stands, and Liverpool fans chanting “we want eight”.
The Positives
Manchester United had composure in the first half and had Liverpool worrying at several points.
This again continues to show the fighting capability of the team, however, it was nothing
groundbreaking. Rashford has been the highlight of Manchester United’s revival, and he
showed this by performing the best - or least disappointing - in the match from Manchester
United but couldn’t get one past Alisson. Man Utd’s youngsters and new arrivals showed great
resolve against such an overwhelming scoreline.
The club’s great run before this match saw impressive wins against a formidable Barcelona and
a comfortable win against Newcastle to lift the Carabao cup 7 days prior to their match at
Anfield, showing that although the result was very disappointing, it is just one match. The
performance against Liverpool showed a lack of fight and determination, rather than a lack of
talent or training which shows that they can still fight against the top clubs around the world.
Ten Hag has always shown Man Utd can bounce back from such adversity, such as the 4 - 0
defeat by Brentford and the 6 - 3 defeat against Manchester City earlier on.
What This Means For The Future Of Manchester United
Ten Hag views the thrashing as a ‘wake-up call’ for his players. They must bounce back quickly,
especially in the upcoming Real Betis match or one could see the team falling back into
disrepair. If conceding goals is enough to break Manchester United’s fighting spirit, fellow fans
should dread the possibility of a losing streak. A streak that has continued to grow is Man Utd’s
constant struggle playing at Anfield, with the team losing more Premier League matches against
Liverpool than any other club in the competition’s history, losing 19 times.
Conclusion
Although certainly an embarrassing result, Man Utd fans shouldn't lose hope for Ten Hag’s
team. Looking at the past shows that this result could merely be another setback in Manchester
United’s resurgence. However, as Ten Hag said, this is definitely a “wake-up call” for the team to
stop complacency stirring among the players after they lifted the Carabao cup. This result also
shows many football fans that even teams that are ‘in form’ can be bested rather easily if things
like resolve are lacking.