How Man Utd mastered the dark arts to beat arch-rivals Liverpool, from ball boys to suspicious injuries
MANCHESTER UNITED showed their guile in their 2-1 win against rivals Liverpool to record their first Premier League win of the season.
Having been hit for four by Brentford last time out, the Red Devils looked a team transformed as they outclassed the Reds at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Not only did they play Liverpool off the pitch, but they also ran themselves into the ground by covering a distance of 113.78km - 18km more than they did against Brentford.
And United also mastered the dark arts to edge out Jurgen Klopp's men to leapfrog them in the table.
Having doubled their lead through Marcus Rashford in the 53rd minute after Jadon Sancho's opener, Liverpool pressed high in an attempt to get themselves back in the game.
Their reward came in the 81st minute as Mohamed Salah headed home from close range to set up a grandstand finish.
READ MORE ON MAN UTD
But in truth, the visitors never looked like equalising as United managed to brilliantly slow down the game in their favour.
Somewhat suspiciously, central defenders Lisandro Martinez and Raphael BOTH went down in the closing stages with cramp.
The commentary team on Sky Sports remarked that it was rare for centre-backs to suffer from cramp, with pundit Gary Neville admitting he didn't experience it once in his entire career.
Those injuries helped to slow down Liverpool's rhythm as they struggled to up their tempo in a quest for a dramatic late goal.
latest man utd news
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS - BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Striker Anthony Martial - on as a second half substitute - not only provided the assist for Rashford's eventual winner, but also did his best to time waste.
Late in the match, United won a corner following a duel between Martial and left-back Kostas Tsimikas.
As the ball boy went to retrieve it, Martial stepped in to tell the young lad to slow down before embracing him.
Bruno Fernandes found a different tactic to wind down the clock.
The Portuguese has been praised by United fans after he refused to give Salah the ball following the Egyptian forward's goal.
Praising his "s***housery", Salah tried desperately to grab the ball but Fernandes palmed him away, indicating he would return the ball to the centre circle.
Fernandes was lucky to escape a second yellow card having already been booked for diving in an attempt to win a penalty.
Referee Michael Oliver instead pushed Salah away instead of Fernandes, with an irate Roberto Firmino then getting involved where he managed to hit the ball out of Fernandes' grasp.
Salah then battled Fernandes for the ball on the floor and when he got control the Portugal international feigned injury - claiming he had been poked him in the eye.
Manchester United's game-spoiling tactics weren't finished there, with David De Gea stopping Liverpool from closing him down by hoofing the ball long to frustrate the pressing Reds attack.
And in theatrical scenes, Martinez writhed around in agony on the floor following a bump to the back from Fabio Carvalho which infuriated Klopp.
The German gaffer confronted Fernandes after the full-time whistle where he discussed United's time-wasting tactics.
Klopp said: "It was not animated it was the most harmless conversation I ever had with a player, who was obviously as emotional as I was.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
READ MORE FOOTBALL STORIES
"It was the situation with Martinez, who went down under an 'awful' tackle that was obviously nothing.
"He [Fernandes] made a bit of it, he was talking to me and saying, ‘you'd do the same’."