Wout Weghorst scored Manchester United's second League goal. Whether it was a tap-in or not didn't matter; goals are king.
The knee slide has now become Manchester United's forwards' favorite celebration. If Gao Nuo's knee slide was 'Fast & Furious,' then Wout Weghorst's was a 'rollover scene.'
After sliding just one meter on the grass, Wout Weghorst seemed to hit the brakes, stopping dead in his tracks, then face-planted onto the ground. He still smiled a little sheepishly; clearly, the joy of the goal far outweighed the embarrassment of the knee slide.
In the 44th minute of the match, Gomez, who had been scolded by captain Van Dijk for a mistake, was fuming. After Elliott took a corner kick, Gomez used his backside to push Varane away, his chest to knock Lisandro Martínez aside, and then headed the ball into the goal.
De Gea's form had severely declined. The header was straight, but it still slipped through his hands and into the net.
Gomez, atoning for his mistake, roared loudly, finally letting out all the anger he had bottled up.
The first half ended in a draw, with both teams playing normally. No tactical adjustments were made during halftime.
The second half was much more intense. Liverpool's Núñez constantly attacked the goal, creating considerable threats.
Manchester United, on the other hand, created several scoring opportunities from set pieces, but all were thwarted by Alisson.
In the 73rd minute of the second half, Gao Nuo replaced Wout Weghorst, forming a new attacking line with Rashford and Garnacho, who had come on earlier.
Unexpectedly, Gao Nuo's speed advantage couldn't be utilized at all. Under Van Dijk's close attention, there was always a number 4 player on Gao Nuo's every running path. He didn't know how Van Dijk managed it, but he could always accurately predict his routes, which left Gao Nuo extremely frustrated.
For Manchester United, the bad news was that Gao Nuo was locked down; the good news was that Van Dijk was also locked down.
Garnacho's brilliance was completely overshadowed by Gao Nuo, yet his growth remained steady. Although he hadn't secured a starting position, Manchester United's forward options were limited, and he still received far more playing time than last season.
Garnacho continued his performance from last season, scoring multiple goals in the final stages of matches, once again becoming the key player on the field.
In the 86th minute of the match, Manchester United counterattacked. Rashford advanced with the ball down the left flank, creating a three-on-two situation in Manchester United's attacking third.
Van Dijk remained very calm, defending two players alone. He feigned a lunge towards the dribbling Rashford, then changed direction, cutting off Gao Nuo's path forward. He successfully lured Rashford into a horizontal pass to the center. Van Dijk's heart swelled with joy, expecting to complete another spectacular 'one man holds the pass' moment.
Gao Nuo looked at the number 4 in front of him, who had once again firmly held his position. He really wanted to unleash a powerful shot, preferably kicking the ball into his face. Abandoning the absurd thought, Gao Nuo began to analyze rapidly.
If he received the ball, it would be difficult to break through.
A direct shot on goal had a chance to score.
A pass back to Marcus would be from too tight an angle.
A shout came from his side, “Here!”
Gao Nuo made a snap decision, letting the ball pass directly between his legs, a dummy. Garnacho on the right took a touch, ran two steps forward, and deftly slotted the ball into the net.
Van Dijk was stunned. It was clearly a three-on-two; wasn't defending two players enough? He turned his head, furious. Gomez had somehow dropped back and was also blocking Gao Nuo, leaving Garnacho on the right completely unmarked.
Van Dijk couldn't be bothered to scold Gomez again; he just wanted to restart the game quickly, hoping they might still equalize.
Manchester United's brilliant three-man combination: Rashford's assist, Gao Nuo's instinctive dummy, and Garnacho's decisive finish, leading Liverpool 2-1.
Liverpool failed to score in the remaining minutes, regrettably losing to the in-form Manchester United.
Manchester United's narrow victory was a form of revenge for the 0-7 thrashing they suffered last season.
Liverpool, however, was struggling. The team's aging problem remained unresolved. In the summer transfer window, Klopp's budget was tight, and without Champions League qualification this season, big names couldn't be signed, and he didn't want minor ones. In the end, they only signed a few promising young talents and called it a day.
After losing to Manchester United, after 13 League rounds, Liverpool and the turbulent Chelsea were level on 22 points, occupying 8th and 9th place in the standings, truly a pair of 'unlucky brothers.'
Manchester City's days were also uncomfortable. After Haaland's three-match injury absence, he returned in this round's League match but was injured again after only 30 minutes, suffering a torn cruciate ligament. The exact recovery time would only be determined after surgery. This wasn't even the worst part; Manchester City lost both matches where Haaland left due to injury, winning only one of their last three League games and currently sitting in 3rd place in the standings.
The most outstanding team in the League was Arsenal. Since losing to Manchester United in the first round, Arsenal had remained unbeaten in 13 Premier League matches.
Arsenal, who were eliminated early from the English League Cup by Tottenham, had played one more game, with 11 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, leading Manchester United (11 wins, 2 losses) by 2 points at the top of the standings.
Tottenham Hotspur retained Kane, and England's all-time leading scorer had been in excellent form recently, scoring 9 goals in 13 League matches, ranking 3rd in the scoring charts, and once again leading Tottenham to display the flair of a BIG6 team.
Due to the international break, the 14th round of the Premier League would take place in 12 days. All teams, after a short rest, would continue their League campaign.
The final month and a bit of 2023 presented an extremely difficult schedule for Manchester United, with five consecutive weeks of two matches per week, posing a huge challenge to player fitness and squad depth.
Gao Nuo truly had a rest this time, not appearing in two Champions League group stage matches or the English League Cup quarter-final. However, he started all seven League matches, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists, displaying very consistent performance.
Gao Nuo currently ranks second in the scoring charts with 15 goals. Haaland needed to be out for two months, giving Gao Nuo hope of completing his system mission.
Manchester United Football Club also performed steadily, maintaining an astonishing 10-match unbeaten record during the grueling schedule.
In the Champions League, they had 1 win and 1 draw, advancing to the knockout stage as group winners.
In the English League Cup quarter-final, they easily defeated Cardiff City to reach the semi-finals.
In the Premier League, they had 5 wins and 2 draws, defeating five teams in the bottom half of the table and drawing with Tottenham, who were 4th in the standings, and West Ham United, who were 6th.
With 50 points from 20 Premier League matches, Manchester United naturally claimed the League's half-season championship.
The team's performance left no room for criticism, the dressing room atmosphere was very harmonious, and the players' support for the manager greatly pleased the management. Fans were already beginning to anticipate Manchester United's return to glory.
