After a miserable first half for both teams, Manchester United got the better of Liverpool with a professional display after the break.
Goals from Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and debutant Anthony Martial were enough to wrap up a 3-1 win, though Liverpool’s Christian Benteke scored the pick of the goals.
Questions were asked about Louis van Gaal’s selections before the game, but there are also a few things for the Dutchman to consider after seeing his team climb to second in the league.
Martial’s goal can help ease the pressure on Memphis
Manchester United’s transfer business this summer has pointed to an overwhelming faith in the club’s new recruits.
Out have gone Hernandez, Januzaj, Nani and Van Persie, while until the final day of the window there had been no new attacking arrivals aside from Memphis Depay.
The young winger seemed to feel a bit of the pressure, struggling today in particular, so having another hungry forward to share the burden ought to be helpful.
I’m not going to blame Memphis because I’m not expecting greatness from him and nor should you. He’s adapting and still developing.
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) September 12, 2015
How sparingly should Martial be used in his first season?
When a player makes such an impact on his debut, the one thing you can’t do is ignore him.
Martial was always likely to have a big role to play – as a result of his transfer fee and United’s relative lack of depth in attacking positions – but now there is the added challenge of managing expectations.
The Frenchman will be permanently in the spotlight after his debut goal, and five or ten minutes here and there will invariably lead to calls for him to be used less sparingly, but it’s important to find the right balance.
It’s still not clear where Daley Blind will slot into the team for the bulk of the campaign
This was one of Blind’s best performances at centre-back for United.
He formed a handy partnership with Chris Smalling, keeping Christian Benteke and Danny Ings quiet for the most part, and also chipped in with a crucial goal.
But one stand-out game shouldn’t necessarily set the tone for the season – if Marcos Rojo gets back to the form he showed last season, Blind’s versatility could prove to be an asset to the team but a hindrance to the player.
Single-handedly winning games against Liverpool is how heroes are made. We hold on here and Daley Blind is a hero.
— OSullivanMUFC (@OSullivanMUFC) September 12, 2015
It is time to build the midfield around Ander Herrera
Throughout both of his seasons at Old Trafford, there has been a sense of Herrera needing to play himself into first team contention.
This season, though, it is looking increasingly tough for Van Gaal to ignore the Basque midfielder as he contributes at both ends of the pitch.
Now that United have several players capable of sitting at the base of a midfield three, the urge to give Herrera a freer role ahead of any two from the Schweinsteiger-Schneiderlin-Carrick-Blind quartet seems overwhelming.
Chris Smalling is the real deal
For quite some time, there was a sense among United fans that Jonny Evans would be the club’s future at centre-back, while Smalling was destined for a move to a mid-table Premier League team.
How times change. While Evans was making his West Brom debut, Smalling was getting the better of Liverpool’s front two, even taking the captain’s armband when Michael Carrick was withdrawn in the second half.
He’s beginning to show the promise that led United to part with around £10m back in 2010, and at the age of 25 he’s only just approaching his prime.
Also, if you don't rate Smalling as amongst the best in the league at CB by now, you're probably too dumb for me to care about. #MUFC
— MUFC_Jay (@JaydnMUFC) September 12, 2015
