_The midfield duo wasted late chances for the Red Devils at Anfield as they were unable to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League table_
There has been a pattern of ‘Big Six’ match-ups in the Premier League not living up to expectations this season, and Manchester United’s visit to Anfield to take on Liverpool continued that disappointing trend.
Billed as the biggest clash in the title race to date, neither side displayed anything like the cutting edge required to break the deadlock, leaving Manchester City as perhaps the only winners from the 0-0 draw on Merseyside.
That said, with United having retained their three-point gap over their rivals from down the M62 following this stalemate, there should still be a feeling at Old Trafford that winning their 21st league title is not beyond them this term.
Though the visitors’ overall performance will hardly have left the likes of City quaking in their boots, they came as close as anyone to finally ending Liverpool’s almost four-year unbeaten league run in front of the Kop.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted pre-match that a win for United would still have been a “shock” despite the form of the respective sides, and after weathering an early storm they almost came away celebrating what would have been the perfect away performance.
That they were not came down to poor finishing from two players who have been key in establishing United as the team to catch at the top of the table in recent weeks.
Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba were both denied by Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal in the second half, and though the Brazil ‘keeper did well to keep out both efforts, there is no question that the United midfield duo should have done better
Fernandes’ close-range miss capped one of the Portugal international’s worst displays in a United shirt, as he at first struggled to get into the game before being wasteful in possession once he and United managed to get a foothold.
He cut a frustrated figure long before he was seen remonstrating with the sideline as he was substituted late on, but in truth United’s perennial match-winner over the past 12 months could have had few complaints over being withdrawn.
*Avant Sports Desk™*