Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United | Player Ratings

10/18/2016

Manchester United played out a goalless draw against Liverpool at Anfield in a game where chances were hard to come by. David de Gea was the saviour for Manchester United once again as the Manchester club looked like a Jose Mourinho team for the first time this season.

Here are the player ratings for the first Northwest derby of the season

Liverpool

Loris Karius : 6/10

Didn't have to make a proper save in the game. He did, however, make a horrible mistake as he tried to play out from defense, but Zlatan as unable to get back in an onside position to make him pay for the error.

Nathaniel Clyne : 5/10

As a fullback whose team have almost three-fourths of the possession, it would be fair to assume that one would give the forward players more options to spread the play, but Clyne did nothing of that sort. A game to forget for the England right back.

Dejan Lovren : 6/10

Along with Matip, Lovren stopped Ibrahimovic from creating any problems. A good performance against the big man as he kept his passing simple and didn’t put a foot wrong the entire game.

Joel Matip : 6/10

Like Lovren,Matip did not have too much to do. He did play Emre Can in with a beautiful through ball that the latter missed. Overall, he looks like the defender Liverpool have been missing for a while.

James Milner : 5/10

Playing against Rashford, he did well to keep the youngster quiet. Like Clyne, he would be disappointed not to have made any offensive contributions.

Jordon Henderson : 5/10

The captain helped out his backline whenever it was required. But again, the English vice-captain could not break down United's stubborn defense.

Emre Can : 3/10

Can did not look match sharp. His first touch let him down multiple times and his only shot was way off target. He had a great chance when he found himself in space early on in the second half but his shot was well saved by the United keeper.

Philippe Coutinho : 6.5/10

The Brazilian started in a midfield three and was marked out of the game in the first half. However, after Lallana came on and he was shifted back to his favored left wing, Coutinho looked far more menacing. He had a great shot on target which turned out to be the best chance of the game, and if it wasn't for de Gea, he would have earned another two points for the Merseyside club.

Roberto Firmino : 5/10

Firmino had a great chance in the first half off a long cross-field ball from Henderson, but could only head the ball straight into de Gea's hands. He again had the chance to put Liverpool ahead in the second half when he was through, but a crucial Valencia tackle ensured the points would be shared. The Brazilian does not look comfortable playing behind Sturridge in the No. 10 role

Sadio Mane : 2/10

The player who was supposed to give Blind nightmares was nowhere to be seen. He was ineffective in the first half, and then tried swapping wings, but that did not make any difference. Surprisingly, Mane stayed on till the final whistle.

Daniel Sturridge : 4/10

Virtually invisible in the first half but not for the lack of effort. The forward had no service whatsoever, and as the game progressed he had to drop deep to get the ball. He was taken off just as the clock struck 60.

Substitutes

Adam Lallana : 5/10

Brought on for Sturridge in the second half, Lallana too could not find a way to break down the United defense.

Manchester United

David de Gea : 8/10

The custodian had just one save to make in the first half when a Firmino header. As Liverpool piled on the pressure in the second half, he came up with a strong right hand to deny Can. But the Spaniard's best moment came when he saved a thirty-yard curler from Coutinho.

Antonio Valencia : 7/10

After a bright start, he retreated back into his own half. The right-back made a goal-saving tackle to keep the scores level, when Firmino was clean through on goal.

Eric Bailly : 7/10

Bailly was unlucky to get booked for his very first tackle. As a part of the United defensive unit, it a flawless display by the former Villareal player.

Chris Smalling : 7/10

For the first time this season, he looked like the defender that he was in the van Gaal era. The center back did not have to make any last ditch tackles but was steady throughout the game.

Daley Blind : 7.5/10

Considered to the player who would be exploited by the Merseyside club with Mane's pace, the Dutchman again proved why he deserves to be picked over Marcus Rojo.

Marouane Fellaini : 7/10

The midfielder won almost every header that came his way. He kept it simple and passed the ball around to more creative players.

Paul Pogba : 5/10

Pogba played in his favorite No. 10 role for the first time as a Man United player. He had a decent first half and provided a pin-point cross for Zlatan in the second half, but overall it was a disappointing performance by the world's most expensive player.

Marcus Rashford : 4/10

Rashford was ineffective in the first half and was the first player to be taken off by Mourinho. Although he tracked back constantly to help out defensively, it was not his best 77 minutes.

Ander Herrera : 9/10

Man of the match. Herrera looked ready for the derby from the very first minute and played in his own half for most of the game, but his passing was excellent and only bettered by his tackling. He was unlucky to get that booking.

Ashley Young : 5/10

In a game where you have just 30% possession, it is difficult to have a lot of the ball in the final third. Like Rashford, he struggled to create a single goal-scoring opportunity but did help out Blind neutralize the Mane threat.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic : 5/10

His struggles in big games are well documented and performances like this will do him no good. He missed a great chance to put United ahead - Pogba saw him run off his defender, but he was not able to test the Liverpool keeper.

Substitutions

Wayne Rooney : 6/10

The skipper came on for Rashford in the second half, but by then United had shut shop and Rooney was just another cog in the Mourinho machine.