Manchester United suffered a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Liverpool initially thought they had scored early through Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside in the build-up.
The visitors took the lead in the 35th minute when Luis Diaz headed in at the back post, and the Colombian quickly added a second just seven minutes later with a precise finish.
Casemiro was substituted at half-time after a disastrous first half, but United’s struggles continued, and they soon found themselves 3-0 down following a goal by Mohamed Salah 10 minutes into the second half.
Player Ratings:
Andre Onana: Had nothing to save as Liverpool were extremely clinical. Well-beaten for all three goals. Rating: 5
Noussair Mazraoui: Was absent defensively for Diaz’s first goal. Had a forgettable match against the lively Diaz. Rating: 4
Matthijs de Ligt: Initially United’s best performer until the first goal, after which his performance declined. Received a booking for a rough tackle. Rating: 4
Lisandro Martinez: Struggled with the ball, lost his temper, and was booked in the first half. Escorting Diaz off the field when he was substituted was one of his few contributions. Rating: 3
Diogo Dalot: Struggled at left-back and couldn’t stop Liverpool for Diaz’s goals. Needs to return to right-back in the next match. Rating: 4
Casemiro: Delivered one of the worst first-half performances by a United player at Old Trafford. Made costly errors leading to both goals and was ineffective with the ball. Substituted at half-time. Rating: 1
Kobbie Mainoo: Another quiet game from the midfielder, who struggled without Casemiro’s support. Lost the ball leading to Salah’s goal. Rating: 3
Alejandro Garnacho: Returned to the starting lineup but failed to make an impact against Andy Robertson. His substitution was met with discontent from the fans. Rating: 4
Bruno Fernandes: Played in the No.10 role but couldn’t influence the game against a dominant Liverpool midfield. Rating: 3
Marcus Rashford: A debatable starter, offered little in his fourth consecutive start. Created two good chances for Joshua Zirkzee but was otherwise quiet. Rating: 4
Joshua Zirkzee: Struggled in the first half and might have been substituted if not for Casemiro’s early exit. Forced a save in the 52nd minute and missed a headed opportunity. Rating: 4
Substitutes:
Toby Collyer: Faced a tough challenge on his league debut and struggled against experienced opponents. Rating: 4
Amad: Unlucky to be dropped after winning the club’s Player of the Month award. Rating: 5
Harry Maguire: Managed to keep Liverpool from scoring during his time on the pitch. Rating: 5
Christian Eriksen: Came on very late. Rating: 5
Manager:
Erik ten Hag: Not responsible for the delayed arrival of Ugarte, but he struggled to find midfield solutions last season. His decisions to drop Maguire and Amad were not justified. Rating: 3
