Not for the first time in his career, Jose Mourinho’s tactics worked a treat.
After watching Marcus Rashford brilliantly fire Manchester United into a 2-0 lead before half-time, Mourinho was content to watch his side defend after the break.
While Liverpool got on the scoresheet thanks to an Eric Bailly own goal, United soaked up the vast majority of their rivals’ pressure in the dying moments and Mourinho employed every trick in his locker to run the clock down and kill Liverpool’s intensity.
The Red Devils manager has clearly rubbed off on his players as we saw several engage in some classic Mourinho time management techniques throughout the second 45.
Wave after wave of Liverpool attack was dealt with adequately by the home side and, following the full-time whistle, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed that his former side would do well to learn how to be a bit more streetwise on the pitch.
After stopping short of saying he enjoyed watching how United eat up the visitors’ pressure, Carragher suggested that Liverpool were naive in how they approached the second half of the game.
“I think Jurgen Klopp made a statement a few months ago where he said that he doesn’t believe at times in the dark arts of football,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“I’m saying this as a compliment to Manchester United for the way they slowed the game down.
“There was a challenge on Smalling in the box and there wasn’t too much in it but he stayed down, he had a little look up. And I’m not criticising that.
“They sort of killed the game at the end. Yes Liverpool had lots of the ball and Graeme mentioned the actual possession that they had but Man United allowed them to have that possession.
“I don’t look at that as great football from Liverpool because United allowed them to have possession. They didn’t look like scoring really. They looked dangerous on the edge of the box but I don’t remember David De Gea making any saves.
“Man United allowed Liverpool to play well with the ball and it was Liverpool’s big job in that second half to create chances and open them up but they weren’t good enough to do it.
“The stupid fouls that Liverpool gave away in that second half just played straight into United’s hands. The one Dejan Lovren did on Marouane Fellaini was unbelievable, when he fouled him twice. His head was completely gone.
“I’ve mentioned being streetwise a few months ago when I was talking about Liverpool but they have to bring that into the game because what what happened there in that second half was that they kept giving stupid fouls away.
“That’s where you need someone on the pitch to say: ‘Just keep moving the ball, there’s plenty of time and wait for an opening.’
“Don’t play into United’s hands and let them slow the game down which they did brilliantly in that second half.”
