Wayne Rooney's bolt from the blue gives Manchester United derby win

Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1: Wayne Rooney’s almost single-handed attempt to salvage Manchester United’s season, and with it possibly Louis van Gaal’s position as Old Trafford manager, continued as the club captain scored for the fifth time in four games with an exemplary finish, his first Anfield goal in 11 years.

The England forward’s contribution only told part of the story as one of English football’s showpiece fixtures disappointed for long parts, in keeping with both clubs’ respective seasons, only for United to emerge victorious and the team more likely to secure a top four finish.

Victory was also a personal triumph for David de Gea, integral to so many of United’s fleeting successes during the recent slide from grace and the player who did as much as Rooney to win the three points. Should United and Van Gaal emerge from this most trying of campaigns with some modicum of respectability or triumph behind them, the fact that De Gea did not move to Real Madrid, as expected, last summer will prove to be the greatest stroke of fortune enjoyed by the club in some time. “That is why he is our goalkeeper,” said Van Gaal, always difficult to please. “He is always reaching a very high level.