Van Dijk: 'There was only one team trying to win the game'
ONLY ONE TEAM PLAYING TO WIN: Man Utd's Rasmus Hojlund is challenged by Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk during their Premier League match. Pic: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
IT is a sign of the miserable slump being experienced by Erik ten Hag and Manchester United that a goalless draw with the old enemy Liverpool brought a reaction of, not only relief, but qualified delight from his club.
In a game low in attacking quality, from both teams, a United side depleted by injuries and suspensions clung on to survive 34 shots from the hosts and avoid a repeat of the 7-0 defeat they suffered at this stadium in March.
Such an outcome was widely expected again although, in an oddly muted game between these two great rivals, it took until the 93rd minute for anything resembling controversy, when United full-back Diogo Dalot somehow collected two yellow cards for the same incident of dissent with Michael Oliver, arguing over a throw-in decision, and was sent off.
But it was about the only foot United put wrong on an early evening that saw Liverpool, for the first time in 12 league and cup games at Anfield this season, fail to win.
As frustrated Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk succinctly put it: “In the end, they’re buzzing with a point; we’re disappointed with a point.” It was a draw that prevented Liverpool from moving to the top of the Premier League although Jurgen Klopp could only look at his own team, one that curiously lacked their usual quality in the final third.
A largest Anfield crowd in over 60 years - 57,158, thanks to the opening of a new tier at the Anfield Road end - was never really given cause to generate the sort of atmosphere this fixture usually creates, at least not once United had negotiated a tricky opening five minutes in which the hosts forced three corners.
As for United, hammered at home by Bournemouth and knocked out of Europe by Bayern Munich this week, it was an acceptable, if unambitious, performance which stopped the rot and answered ten Hag’s critics, for a few more days at least.
“I’ve said in other interviews, we’re behind the manager, that’s first and foremost,” said Scott McTominay, named United captain for the day in place of the suspended Bruno Fernandes.
“We’re here to perform for this football club. He’s a great manager, a great man-manager who can lead us to good things. I feel like this could be a building block.”
That interpretation may have been over-stating things although the alternative - an emphatic United defeat - could have been catastrophic for them, ahead of the busy holiday schedule.
Van Dijk accused United of playing for the draw - “There was only one team trying to win the game,” he said - although it was hard to know what other approach the visitors could, or should, have taken in the circumstances.
Rasmus Hojlund, still looking for his first Premier League goal in 13 games now, probably missed his team’s best opening, exchanging passes with McTominay after 67 minutes but shooting straight at Alisson from close range, but it was a rearguard action from start to finish from ten Hag.
There were those 34 shots, eight of them on target - amazingly, the same number Liverpool had in the 7-0 win - but United keeper Andre Onana, whose form has been questionable, hardly had a serious save to make.
“I’m never sure we’ve ever had these kind of numbers. Crazy,” said Klopp. “But there should have been more on target. That was our fault.” Onana tipped over a Virgil van Dijk header, although it was straight at him, as Liverpool repeatedly threatened from set-pieces. Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo, later in the game, were both guilty of wasting glorious headed chances in similar situations.
Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a shot agonising inches wide from over 20 yards while Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, unimpressive all afternoon, stumbled over each other when the goal looked at their mercy on 76 minutes.
It was a result, and atmosphere inside Anfield, that smacked more than a little of Liverpool complacency, that players and fans alike had believed the pre-match notion that all their side had to do to record three more points was turn up.
Klopp rejected the idea, of course. "I think you overestimate your influence, we couldn't be bothered what you say,” he said. “It has nothing to do with what happens, we knew it would be difficult.
"I saw a lot of good things, the one thing I don't like is the result. I can't remember such a dominant performance against Man United - even the 7-0, they were more in the game. Now it's 0-0 they probably feel slightly better than us. But we take the point and keep going.” For opposite number ten Hag, his response sounded more like that of a winning, rather than drawing manager.
“We play in very high highs and also sometimes in very low lows. If you want to achieve something in a season you can't be below certain limits so we have to get the consistency,” said ten Hag.
"This was a very good performance, you saw Liverpool's results at home and we got a clean sheet. The way we defended it was almost perfect.
"Always you have to fight for each other. At Manchester United it is always the same - us against the rest. We have a good squad, a good team and we can make something out of this season."
Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 8, Konate 6, van Dijk 6, Tsimikas 6; Szoboszlai 6 (Gomez 61, 6), Endo 5, Gravenberch 6 (Gakpo 61, 6); Salah 6, Nunez 5 (Elliott 78, 5), Diaz 5 (Jones 78, 5).
Adrian, McConnell, Kelleher, Quansah, Bradley.
: Onana 6; Dalot 7, Varane 7, Evans 7, Shaw 6; Mainoo 7 (Mejbri 82), Amrabat 4; Antony 5 (Pellistri 82), McTominay 6, Garnacho 4 (Rashford 71, 6); Hojlund 5.
Bayindir, Reguilon, Wan-Bissaka, van de Beek, Gore, Kambwala.
: M Oliver 6
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
