Grandees from the basement – Newspaper Kommersant No. 154 (7355) of 08/24/2022
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The main event of the third round of the English Premier League was the victory won at home by Manchester United over Liverpool with a score of 2: 1. For the hosts, this is the first success after a disastrous start in the championship. The guests, who in May until the last round fought for the gold of the championship of England, and in June lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, so far have only two draws on their account.
On Monday, before the start of the central meeting of the third round of the championship of England, thousands of demonstrations took place in the streets of Manchester, organized by one of the most active fan groups of Manchester United – The 1958. Several thousand fans demanded that the owners of the club – the Glaser family – sell it. The negative attitude of Manchester United fans towards its owners has been known for 17 years – since American businessmen bought out 100% of the club’s shares. But the current action of fans of the famous team has become one of the most noticeable, because after their weak-willed defeat from Brentford in the second round with a score of 0:4, their indignation knew no bounds.
It is unlikely that the events that preceded the match could directly affect the course of the struggle, and even more so the result. But the fact remains that Manchester United managed to break their losing streak and win their first victory under new manager Erik ten Hag. In the game with the most important rival, the silver medalist of the previous championship and the finalist of the Champions League, the Dutchman’s wards looked different than a week ago in Brentford. Even the figures cited by the British press eloquently speak of this. Compared to that match, Manchester United players ran a total of more than 18 kilometers – 113.8 against 95.6. And at the same time, they accelerated twice as often, making 155 sprints against 65!
The first scoring chance at the gates of the guests came after Bruno Fernandes, developing a sharp attack, pushed the ball to Anthony Elanga in the fall and he, aiming at the far corner, hit the post. And soon, Jadon Sancho flashed his individual skill in the middle of the Liverpool penalty area, who made a masterful pause before the shot, with the help of which he laid James Milner on the lawn and opened the scoring. Liverpool, on the other hand, having 70% of possession of the ball before the break, did not achieve anything in the first half, although after an awkward shot by Fernandes, who was trying to defuse the situation near his goal, the ball almost hit them.
The decisive episode of the game was a quick counter-attack by Manchester United at the beginning of the second half with the participation of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who outplayed goalkeeper Alisson. After that, the teams exchanged very dangerous moments, and only one goal was scored – by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who took advantage of the confusion at the gate of David de Gea during a corner kick. The final ten minutes passed with the advantage of the guests who organized the last assault, but he had no success. Manchester United won – 2-1 – after a series of defeats to Liverpool in the previous three matches in the Premier League with a humiliating aggregate score of 2:13.
Of course, it cannot be argued that Manchester United has changed overnight and will now begin to beat everyone in a row. Noting at the press conference not so much the change in the tactical pattern of the team’s game, but the dedication of the players, Erik ten Hag looked like a man far from euphoria. However, there are some prerequisites for the revival of the famous club. One of them is the recent transfer from Real Madrid of the Brazilian Casemir, who watched the meeting with Liverpool from the stands. It is believed that with his arrival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who spent several seasons with the Brazilian in Madrid, and on Monday spent only the very end on the field, coming on as a substitute instead of Rashford, can perk up. And in the German publication Bild there is information about the possible strengthening of Manchester United by the goalkeeper of the Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt Kevin Trapp, who showed himself perfectly in the Europa League victory for his current club.
In the meantime, after three rounds, Manchester United is in 14th place with three points in the standings. And Liverpool, which suffered its first defeat in the Premier League since December, has only two draws in its account, that is, it is even worse. Against the background of an unexpected leader, which is London’s Arsenal, which has three wins in a bright game, both clubs do not look their best. However, the tournament has just begun, and the situation in the fight for medals may change several more times.
Third round of the championship of England
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
Sancho, 16; Rashford 53 – Salah 81
Command position. 1. Arsenal – 9 points. 2. Manchester City – 7. 3. Leeds – 7. 4. Tottenham – 7. 5. Brighton – 7. 6. Newcastle – 5 … 12. Chelsea – 4 … 14. Manchester United – 3 … 16. Liverpool – 2.
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