LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Erik ten Hag needed this.
A 0-0 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday won’t win any beauty pageants, but a tenacious and combative performance at Anfield suggests Manchester United’s players are ready to fight.
On numerous occasions this season, the opposite has seemed to be true.
United coach Ten Hag said: “You always have to fight for the badge. The way we defended was almost perfect. When we made a mistake there was always a teammate to solve the problem. I think this is the big win from our side.” “Today. We have to maintain this and bring it every game.”
United had collapsed on the ground of its fierce rival when it lost 7-0 on its last visit in March.
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With Ten Hag facing speculation over his position and his side being eliminated from the Champions League at the earliest, it has upset the prospects of ending Liverpool’s 110% winning streak in 11 games at Anfield this season, while also affecting Jurgen Klopp’s bid for victory. Premier League title.
The draw saw Liverpool drop from top of the standings and into second place against Arsenal, who beat Brighton 2-0 and travel to Anfield on Saturday.
Ten Hag will be more concerned about United’s fortunes, and while a brave display won’t completely stop talk of a crisis at Old Trafford, it does give the Dutch manager something to build on.
“We play at very high levels and sometimes at very low levels,” he said. “If you want to achieve something in a season, you cannot go below certain limits, so we have to achieve consistency.”
It was a frustrating day for Liverpool, who dominated possession and chances, although Rasmus Hoglund’s second-half strike from close range for United was the best opening created by either team.
Klopp said: “The main thing I don’t like is the result. We should have won the game. I can’t remember this kind of dominance against Manchester United as we did today. It was special, and the atmosphere was special.” “.
This is United’s first draw in the league this season, having won nine matches and lost seven of the 16 matches they played before the match.
The result leaves Ten Hag six points away from fourth-placed Manchester City. Second-placed Liverpool is one point behind leaders Arsenal.
After leading the Premier League for 248 days last season without continuing to win the title, Arsenal look like serious contenders again.
Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz each scored two goals in the second half at the Emirates Stadium, extending Arsenal’s advantage over fourth-placed City to five points. Arsenal is one point ahead of Liverpool.
Third-placed Aston Villa could be a surprise contender if they can continue their impressive early-season form.
After going 1-0 down at Brentford following a Keane-Lewis-Potter first-half goal, Unai Emery’s side came back to win 2-1, with Ben Mee’s 71st-minute red card proving the turning point.
Alex Moreno equalized at GTech Community Stadium six minutes later and Ollie Watkins scored the winner in the 85th minute.
Villa’s Boubacar Kamara was sent off in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but Villa held on to achieve five victories in their last six league matches.
Villa later requested an investigation after Watkins said he had been abused by a Brentford fan.
“Aston Villa FC wants to express its support for Ollie Watkins, and with the utmost respect to the vast majority of Brentford fans and to the club, we ask the authorities to investigate this incident to find this person.” Known as Twitter. “Zero tolerance for abuse in football.”
Watkins referred to the incident after the winning goal.
He said: “It was a rowdy game and that was fueled by my celebrations after I scored the goal. This is not down to disrespect from the Brentford fans, but there was one person who was abusing me throughout the game so I felt that way.” He only had the right to celebrate in front of him.
“It was directed at him and it caused a reaction in the last 15 minutes.”
Mohamed Quddus looks like one of the players to buy into this season after West Ham signed him from Ajax for around $48 million in August.
The striker also scored in Thursday’s Europa League win over Freiburg, and his strike on Sunday made it four goals in his last five games. He has eight goals in all competitions for West Ham.
Jarrod Bowen was also on the scoresheet for his 10th of the season.
The defender collapsed on the field during his team’s match against Bournemouth, which left him.
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In a thrilling weekend of Premier League action, Manchester United managed to frustrate rivals Liverpool in a dramatic 0-0 draw, while Arsenal returned to the top of the table with a convincing win. Villa also continued their impressive form, securing another victory to climb up the standings. With the title race heating up and unexpected results keeping fans on the edge of their seats, the Premier League is proving to be as exciting as ever.