Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney stuns Liverpool with late strike

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By. Zambwe mwandele

For 78 minutes it was not the icy temperatures that chilled Michael Carrick, Phil Jones and the rest of Manchester United’s travelling support at Liverpool but a soul-sapping lack of adventure from the team they had paid to see. One swipe of Wayne Rooney’s right foot altered everything and for 25 minutes after the final whistle they reveled in the truism that only the result matters when the Premier League’s fallen heavyweights collide. The grim, occasionally gleeful, reality of life under Louis van Gaal was laid bare.

Four times Van Gaal has faced Liverpool as United manager and four times he has emerged victorious. Each has had a profound effect on Liverpool’s Champions League aspirations, with wins number two and three damaging Brendan Rodgers’ job prospects in the process, and the latest may prove no exception, with Jürgen Klopp’s team eight points adrift of fourth place. The implications for Van Gaal’s future remain to be seen.

Klopp appeared visibly deflated as he discussed another display of promise, missed chances and set-piece vulnerability afterwards. Van Gaal was emboldened as he talked up United’s title prospects on the back of a second league win since 21 November. The intoxicating effects of a United win at Anfield clearly remain, even if the reverberations no longer make an impact on the Premier League summit.

The United manager also described David de Gea’s influential performance as mere routine and he had a point – the Spanish goalkeeper twice saved impressively from Emre Can but was hardly besieged – yet the approach, and the quality on display, was modest in the extreme. Far from a collision between the best the Premier League has to offer, this underlined why two wealthy clubs began the day sixth and ninth in the table.

Rooney settled the contest as he reacted

sharply to a header from Marouane Fellaini, his fellow ex-Evertonian, that rebounded off the crossbar. It was Rooney’s first league goal at Anfield in 11 years and a moment for the United captain, his manager and club to savour. They were on the back foot for much of the game, their timidity in the first half was as bad as their touch on the ball, but they were able to punish Liverpool’s weaknesses in defence and in front of goal.

“We need to improve but today was enough to beat Liverpool away,” said Van Gaal. The armoury at the managers’ disposal – the converted Roberto Firmino leading a Liverpool starting XI with only six league goals to their collective credit this season – was also telling.

Liverpool spent the opening 10 minutes encamped inside their own half as United controlled possession but initial impressions proved misleading.

Klopp’s side almost punished United when Jordan Henderson and James Milner combined to dispossess Morgan Schneiderlin, and Adam Lallana was put clean through by Lucas Leiva’s long ball over the top. Lallana opted for a first-time header, saved almost on the 18-yard line by De Gea, and although the rebound broke kindly for Firmino, he was unable to reproduce the accuracy he had against Arsenal and shot tamely wide.

Milner almost profited from a first-time ball down Liverpool’s right channel, too, driving Firmino’s pass wide from a tight angle, and Henderson shot over twice from distance while also missing the best chance of the opening half.

In contrast to United, the home side’s one-touch football improved considerably as the game wore on and a slick exchange between Lucas, Henderson, Lallana and Firmino released the captain inside the area. Henderson pulled his shot wide of De Gea’s far post. Van Gaal’s side were measured but rarely threatened until Rooney’s late breakthrough.

Not even the chance to pressurise Simon Mignolet from a corner was taken, with Daley Blind swinging a series of awful deliveries away from the Liverpool goalkeeper. Ander Herrera’s sliced shot wide in the 30th minute represented United’s first attempt on goal.

Not even the chance to pressurise Simon Mignolet from a corner was taken, with Daley Blind swinging a series of awful deliveries away from the Liverpool goalkeeper. Ander Herrera’s sliced shot wide in the 30th minute represented United’s first attempt on goal.

The decision to play the left-winger Ashley Young at right-back was aborted shortly before the break when he exited injured following an innocuous challenge on Milner.

Mercifully, the second half was more open, enterprising and interesting, the latter the least that should be expected when these clubs meet.

Greater adventure from Can twice came close to giving Liverpool the lead. Moments after the restart the German international took Lallana’s pass and burst beyond Chris Smalling inside the area but his low, goal-bound shot was deflected wide by De Gea. The United goalkeeper subsequently produced a superior save from Can’s 25-yard drive, clawing away Firmino’s return for good measure, and was relieved when Henderson side-footed tamely into his arms, despite having a free shot from the edge of the area. The missed chances, while not in the gilt-edged category, proved costly.

Anthony Martial went close with a low shot across the face of Mignolet’s goal but United’s travelling contingent had been given no cause for optimism and jeered Van Gaal’s decision to withdraw Herrera for Memphis Depay, before finding themselves rejoicing in Rooney’s decisive 78th-minute strike.

Blind, no doubt learning from earlier errors, played a short corner to Juan Mata and his inviting cross was headed against the bar by Fellaini, towering above the Liverpool centre-backs Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Touré. The ball bounced back to the unmarked United captain, who lashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from close range.

It was Rooney’s 176th league goal for United, the most a player has scored for a single club in the Premier League era, and the seventh goal Liverpool have conceded from a corner this season – more than any other side. Most revealingly, it was the visitors’ first shot on target. Smash and grab seems a fair description.

Man of the match David de Gea (Manchester United)

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