[ad_1]
Salah sends message
For a very short period, Mohamed Salah summed up everything that Liverpool had done wrong.
In the opening minutes, the Reds forward wasn’t even looking when Trent Alexander-Arnold threw a pass down the right flank and moments later Luke Shaw easily stripped him inside his own half to send Manchester United on a dangerous attack.
But when the opportunity came to end Liverpool’s goal drought, there was evidence that the Egyptian’s composure and shot remain intact.
Such was the way Salah dispatched the opening offered by Roberto Firmino, crooning deliciously over Dean Henderson for Liverpool’s first goal against seniors in nearly a month.
That it was Firmino who provided the perfect assist in inches was fitting, given that such a combination has provided more goals than any other pair during the Jurgen Klopp era.
And that number jumped to 18 in the second half when the Brazilian, aided by a James Milner mannequin, rolled the ball for Salah to drag Liverpool back to level. Only two clever saves from United goalkeeper Henderson denied the Egyptian a hat-trick.
Forget the recent disturbing debate about your future. This was Salah, 19 goals in 28 appearances this season, which shows why he remains such a key figure for the Premier League champions.
Jones shows promise again
Social media can be a vile and toxic place.
Witness the reaction to an impostor of yours really earlier in the week, pondering whether Liverpool’s woeful firepower had coincided with Curtis Jones resting heavily on the bench.
Who was Liverpool’s player of the match against Manchester United? Vote here
And Diogo Jota? Naby Keita? Anyone but the local guy? was the essence of many responses, amid the rampant uproar and the boring accusations of favoritism.
However, Jota and Keita are injured. Jones is not. And, recalled here, the teenager posted a fond reminder of why Jurgen Klopp is so excited about his potential.
Having been in and out of the game when he was to the left of the front three, Jones really found his feet in the final half hour when he was in the most central position his talent demands.
His energy and willingness to rush towards opposing players, prompting a back-up from Paul Pogba later on, helped force United to back down during a period in which Liverpool dominated.
Not everything Jones did turned out well, although, at 19, that was to be expected. As Klopp had asked his team last week, he was prepared to fail.
The midfielder did enough to strengthen his claims for new opportunities in the coming weeks. Liverpool will need your enthusiasm.
Reds must copy United
While the league standings might suggest otherwise, there isn’t much Liverpool can learn from Manchester United.
But there is one aspect of the game where the Reds are once again behind those at the other end of East Lancs Road.
Yes, it is those dark arts again, demonstrated by the way Edinson Cavani managed a challenge from Fabinho from which the defining moment of the game emerged.
The astute Marcus Rashford admitted that having been instilled in United players was evident elsewhere, such as Donny van de Beek’s ambitious penalty cry and Victor Lindelof’s cynical pull on Divock Origi to stop Liverpool’s late break.
Get the latest news on injuries and Liverpool teams as Klopp faces the selection dilemma, plus the latest news and analysis of what’s next for the Reds.
You’ll also get the latest talk and transfer analysis delivered right to your inbox every day with our FREE email newsletter.
Register here, it only takes a few seconds!
It’s a myth to suggest the Reds are holy: James Milner isn’t soft and Fabinho isn’t averse to strange tactical fouls, but without Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson, they’re losing the edge that is sometimes required when they’re on type. of the difficult position they are in now.
Rest assured, José Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur won’t mind getting dirty on Thursday. The Reds must become brave again.
[ad_2]
