Manchester United passed its test of fire on Sunday at Anfield Road solidly, without brio: the Red Devils came back with a draw (0-0) against the defending champion, Liverpool, and retain the lead in the championship.
With 37 points, ManU is however a very fragile leader, since Leicester are 2nd at two lengths and Liverpool 3rd at three points, while Manchester City, which receives Crystal Palace in the evening, is 5th at five points but with two games less.
After a tribute to Gerry Marsden, who died in early January and whose version of “You'll Never Walk Alone” is played - and repeated in chorus by the stadium, when supporters are admitted - before each match at Anfield, the two teams delivered a rather hooked but unspectacular match.
In any case, it was once again clear that the suspense in the Premier League owes largely as much to the lower level of the Reds as to the progress, despite everything very real, of Manchester.
Some may be disappointed by the apparent lack of ambition of Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer's men, who are very happy to let Liverpool the ball in this game.
With a 4-2-3-1 set-up, with the only Anthony Martial at the forefront and a Pogba-Fernandes-Rashford line in front of a double pivot made up of Fred and Scott McTominay, they had bet everything on the murderous counters of which they are customary.
Unfortunately for them, with a Bruno Fernandes who seems to be marking time physically after a year of playing almost every game since his arrival, the Mancuniens have too often lacked precision in the last pass and the last gesture, or patience in their calls .
Manchester may have regrets
The victory did not go far, however.
A free kick from Fernandes close by (34th), a resumption of the same Fernandes stopped by Alisson with his foot (75th) and above all a strike from Pogba alone seven meters from the goals, but right on the Brazilian goalkeeper, again good placed and decisive (83rd), were the best opportunities.
Opposite, Jürgen Klopp had once again had to tinker with his eleven and bring down Jordan Henderson, the captain and soul of the team, in central defense alongside Fabinho to compose the defensive axis.
In the middle, he called on the Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri, who did not even have a full championship match in his legs (84 minutes in four exits from the bench), alongside Thiago Alcantara, who was also only the 5th league appearance and first tenure at Anfield.
With 67% possession and 18 shots, but only three on target, Liverpool did not find the solution to the puzzle posed by a very serious Manchester defense which has hardly ever been taken out of position.
A performance to be certainly credited to his coach, but which also owes a lot to the offensive difficulties of the Reds.
They remain in four games without a win, including three without scoring, in the league.
This result remains, however, almost more favorable to the title holders, who still have room for improvement if they find some of their injured, while Manchester United may already be leveling off.
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Premier League standings