August 23, (THEWILL) –Â The Erik ten Hag era has been given new life after Manchester United’s deserving 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which left their opponents winless after three English Premier League games for the first time since the 2012/2013 season.
Following a string of defeats to start the season, Ten Hag decided to bench Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire and this move was rewarded with a significantly improved performance. After 16 minutes, Sancho smoothly slid the ball past Alisson to cap a brilliant move, meaning Liverpool conceded the opening goal for a club-record seventh straight EPL game.
Marcus Rashford’s goal early in the second half gave United breathing room until Mohamed Salah’s header nine minutes from time, which turned out to be merely a consolation for the suspiciously terrible Reds. The goal could not disguise the visitors’ awful performance, especially in defence and midfield, where Milner and Virgil van Dijk frequently engaged in heated exchanges.
It was a bold move by Ten Hag to bench Ronaldo for the second time in three games this season, but his choice was amply vindicated by the time the 95th minute rolled around courtesy to goals from Sancho and Rashford.
On Saturday, when they resume play against Southampton, United and Ten Hag will try to build on this victory while winless Liverpool will try again to record their first victory of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
