The contrast of emotions between Ruben Amorim and Arne Slot
When the final whistle blew, Ruben Amorim did not show too explosive emotions, it was simply a light celebration. The Portuguese tactician knew the win could be a turning point in his reign at Old Trafford.
Two consecutive victories in the Premier League, which seemed simple for big teams, was Man United's first time in nearly a year. More specifically, it comes in the context of Man United defeating Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal (through penalty shootouts) in that amount of time.
On the contrary, Arne Slot is facing an unexpected crisis. For the first time since 2014, Liverpool have lost four in a row. The 1-2 loss to Man United was also their first defeat at Anfield after 13 months of unbeatenness. A group that has just invested 484 million pounds is in decline. They conceded after only 62 seconds due to Bryan Mbeumo's goal, then were held to a draw by Harry Maguire in the 84th minute.
Man United's victory comes from discipline, courage and belief
Harry Maguire, who was a symbol of disappointment at Old Trafford, has now become a hero. Not only did he score the decisive goal, this central defender was also a solid foundation in Amorim's 5-man defensive system.
It was the biggest win since I arrived at Manchester United. We have proven that as long as you have spirit, you can beat anyone" - Ruben Amorim shared.
Amorim's 3-4-3 (4-4-1 defensive formation) operated surprisingly smoothly. He sold Benjamin Sesko to give Matheus Cunha the role of "false 9". This decision opens up a fast, sharp and organized counter-attack.
On the right wing, Amorim made a bold choice when he let Amad Diallo start. The Ivorian star responded to that trust with an impressive performance in both defense and attack. He was the one who assisted Mbeumo to open the scoring for Man United.
Liverpool is chaotic and out of control
While Man United showed solidarity and discipline, Liverpool played as a disjointed team. Arne Slot sent up to 6 attack players onto the field after the 60th minute, but that adventure made the defense vulnerable. When Bruno Fernandes crossed the ball towards the far post, Harry Maguire comfortably jumped high behind Ibrahima Konate to score. That is a symbolic image of the imbalance in Liverpool's squad.
Cody Gakpo was a rare bright spot, scoring an equalizer and adding 3 times to the goal. Alexander Isak leaves the pitch with just one shot on target in his first Premier League campaign in a new shirt. As for Mohamed Salah, he continued to lose focus to his once favorite opponent. Florian Wirtz sat on the bench for more than an hour and when he was put on the pitch, the German midfielder could not rotate the situation.
"We created 8 to 10 clear chances but lost. Facing an opponent who plays defensively and tends to play long balls, the worst thing is probably conceding an early goal" - Arne Slot shared.
When Maguire and Man United rewrite their own stories
This victory is not only for 3 points. It was a strong response from a team that was once considered soulless and also a testament to Amorim's resilience. The passionate celebrations, the scene of Cunha falling on the wet grass due to exhaustion, all painted the image of the Man United team fighting tirelessly until the last second.
However, Amorim was modest and kept his emotions very moderate: "Forget the Top 4 or Top 6. What we need to do is try to win 3 consecutive matches. Behind that statement is the return of confidence, something that Man United fans have been waiting for too long.
For Liverpool, the goal now is simply not to lose their 5th consecutive match. As for Man United, Amorim and his students have important confidence in the upcoming journey after a difficult period in charge.
