Manchester United hosted their arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils beat the Liverpudlians in an epic 4-3 FA Cup encounter on St Patricks Day but entered the occasion in no sort of form, drawing 1-1 with Brentford and themselves coming out on the wrong end of a chaotic 4-3 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.
Andre Onana started in nets as per usual and the centre back pairing was Willy Kambwala and Harry Maguire due to the injury crisis United are currently suffering.
Diogo Dalot started in his usual right back spot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka deputised on the left to try to deal with the Mo Salah threat.
Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo formed the base of the midfield with Bruno Fernandes roaming in front of them.
Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho flanking him on either side.
Here is what we learned from the north-west derby.
United are incapable of shutting up shop
In 2024, no team in Europe’s top five leagues have conceded more shots on goal than Manchester United and today was no exception.
The logical approach to playing against a superior side such as Liverpool would be to play safe and keep a sold shape behind the ball, looking to pick them off on the counter.
Not Erik ten Hag’s United, who launched forward and left massive spaces for Jurgen Klopp’s team to attack at will.
The Red Devils one again showed their ineptitude defensively from another set piece for Liverpool’s opening goal of the match.
Darwin Nunez peeled off his marker and flicked the ball onto Luis Diaz to volley home with all the space he could dream of.
The United midfield, as usual, failed to offer any real protection to the weakened defence and the Merseysiders reached the Stretford End goal at will in the first half.
After conceding 31 shots against Brentford and 28 versus Chelsea, the Old Trafford side allowed 26 attempts versus their old rivals.
Erik ten Hag may not see the problem but this style of football is clearly incompatible with a serious team who have ambitions to qualify for Europe, never mind win trophies.
It must be said the team performance did pick up substantially in the second half but the problems that have plagued the side throughout the year seem no closer to being solved.
Willy Kambwala stands up tall
In the most testing of circumstances, United’s young French centre back could hold his head high after the match.
His performance was far from perfect and contained the odd error, but he was strong in the challenge and made his physical presence felt against the Liverpool forward line.
The youngster was not fazed by the spectacle and regularly stepped up to nip the ball off the forwards.
He was also strong in the air, making numerous headed clearances.
There was a moment early on in the second half where Kambwala showed his class, expertly sticking with Darwin Nunez and wrestling the ball off the Uruguayan, before winning the foul for himself. A wonderful piece of defending.
Whilst nobody could deny United’s overall defensive performance was poor, the 19 year old did his chances of gaining more first team minutes no harm at all.
With the future of numerous centre backs at the club very much up in the air this summer, Kambwala may be showcasing his talent at exactly the right time for his United career.
Bruno Fernandes is always capable of the sublime
Like every United player this campaign, Bruno Fernandes has had his ups and downs.
This season has hardly been a classic for the Portuguese but often he has stood up when his team needed him, just like he always has since his arrival in 2020.
Fernandes grabbed a crucial equaliser for the Red Devils at the beginning of the second half when a loose ball by Jarell Quansah was expertly lofted over the Liverpool keeper from inside the centre circle.
It was an outrageous goal and the confidence to take it on in a North West derby, with his team 1-0 now and playing so poorly, speaks volumes of the quality of the player.
The strike was his ninth of the season, to go along with his nine assists that he has racked up.
The United captain will always have his fair share of critics but once again, he stood up when his side needed him most and showed the world exactly what he is capable of at any time in any game.
Kobbie Mainoo is a special talent
Not to be outdone by his captain, United’s outstanding 18 year old, Kobbie Mainoo, scored another goal that will be discussed at Old Trafford for generations.
After combining well with fellow teenager, Alejandro Garnacho, the youngster nonchalantly twisted around the Liverpool defender and curled a stunning effort into the top corner, underlining his ridiculous talent.
The Stockport native’s rise this season has been a joy to watch but truthfully, the toll of having to hold together United’s midfield largely by himself at 18 years old has begun to catch up with him, as his influence has waned in recent weeks.
However, United’s second goal of the game was a wonderful reminder of what a gem the Red Devils have on their hands.
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