The defeat continued Liverpool’s early season woes and marked the first time they failed to win at least one of their first three games during manager Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at the club.
“We have no problem,” Klopp said, according to the Guardian. “We are in a tricky situation, injury-wise, we went through the week with 14, 15 senior players available and now we have to make sure they don’t get injured.
“We should have won that game, I know that sounds ridiculous, but that’s how I saw it.”
Preparation for the match began under a cloud of protests and flares staged by Manchester United supporters against the Glazer family who have become increasingly unpopular owners in recent years as the club’s fortunes have taken a hit. nose.
“There is a need for answers and a need for change in some way – the main thing that all the fans want and are clearly focused on results,” former Manchester United striker Louis Saha told Amanda Davies of CNN Sports.
“If tomorrow you have all these types of results like [Monday] systematically, nobody talks about the owners, nobody. So it’s about making this club successful again, winning trophies.”
The Red Devils had started the weekend bottom of the table – after a humble 4-0 loss to Brentford and a 2-1 home loss to Brighton – increasing the pressure on a club beleaguered by years of failing to meet expectations. .
In response, manager Erik ten Hag – already under pressure after just three games in charge – dropped captain Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the Liverpool clash.
“The impact…is like no one is guaranteed a place at Manchester United,” Saha added. “No one should think that whatever happened, whatever your status, you should start for sure.
“I really like the idea that to stay in the team, you have to have humility and say, ‘Okay, today is not my day, but I will contribute to everything what happens today in these games or maybe in a week’ because it’s a long season and everyone has to understand that the manager has to decide who is going to play today.”
Without Maguire and Ronaldo, United started brilliantly, playing at a fast pace and creating an opportunity after just four minutes as Marcus Rashford edged Virgil van Dijk but couldn’t get his shot past the Liverpool defender.
Six minutes later, the Red Devils had another chance when Anthony Elanga’s shot ricocheted off the post, and the home crowd responded to their side with growing enthusiasm.
Despite those early shocks, Liverpool still struggled to find a rhythm and were punished in the 16th minute as Jadon Sancho controlled the ball with a few cold touches in the box, thwarting the Reds defense before firing it deep into the box. fillets.
This continued Liverpool’s unfortunate habit of conceding first, as the club have now done for seven consecutive league games for the first time in the Premier League era.
“We give each team a starting goal,” Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson said, according to the BBC. “We can’t fight an uphill battle. That’s what has to change.
“During the warm-up it was the quietest stadium I’ve heard in this stadium and they wanted something to lift them up and we gave it to them.”
Nine minutes later, the decibel meter at Old Trafford soared again as Christian Eriksen almost curled the ball into the top right corner of the goal from a free kick, stopped only by the outstretched fingertips of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker .
Liverpool finally started to string together a few phases and only a desperate United defense of Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martínez in the scrum after a corner kick prevented the equalizer before half-time.
“All About Attitude”
The Reds looked supported after the break, but it was United who struck the first blow of the second half as Anthony Martial capitalized on a stray ball in midfield and found an open Rashford that went wide. away to score his first goal in 997 minutes for United.
Another spectacular save from Alisson two minutes later stemmed the tide somewhat, but Liverpool’s frustration was evident at the sight of Milner and Van Dijk yelling at each other throughout the half.
They were a completely different side to the one that worked against Brighton and Brentford in the first two games of the season.
“It’s all about the mindset…you have to have that ambition, the fighting spirit element is the basis if you want to maintain that kind of quality throughout the season,” Saha said.
“It doesn’t matter how much talent you have or how much transfer market budget you have, the starting point is there and I think that’s what made the difference yesterday and it was great to watch from minute one. at the last.”
With eight minutes remaining, the Reds finally pulled one back as Mo Salah headed in from close range after United failed to clear a corner.
Salah’s goal created a tense finish but Manchester United held on to claim their first win of the season and the first of manager Erik ten Hag’s tenure.
“We can talk about technique, but it’s all about attitude. Now, you see, we bring the attitude,” Ten Hag said afterwards, according to the Guardian.
“There was communication, there was a fighting spirit and, above all, there was a team, and you can see what they can achieve. Because they can play good football.”
Liverpool, a side 15 minutes from winning the Premier League last season, now sit 16th in the table with just two points from their opening three games.
“Two out of nine is not the start we wanted,” Robertson added, according to the BBC. “We have to resume our performances individually and collectively.”
