Liverpool and Man Utd deliver poor 0-0 draw after the hype

One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday.

After all the hype preceding the battle between English football's fiercest rivals, United's manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool's acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics.

The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho.

Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth on 17, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Portuguese sounded particularly satisfied as he suggested United's ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown "they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are".

Klopp, though, talked of "mixed feelings", admitting it had been a poor spectacle.

"I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better.

"We get a point. It doesn't feel like the best thing but it is what we got."

His usually whirlwind Liverpool were effectively subdued in the first half as Mourinho reverted to conservative type, bringing in Marouane Fellaini to partner Ander Herrera in a stifling central midfield combination.

Throwing men behind the ball and taking the voice out of the passionate home crowd, United controlled most of the play in the opening half-hour even if a 40-metre Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick blasted into row Z was their lowest of highlights.

Liverpool, without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and forced to leave Adam Lallana on the bench, never got going, with Daniel Sturridge proving disappointing, and they looked nervous in front of their fevered fans.

It took them more than half an hour before a Roberto Firmino header straight at De Gea represented their first attempt on goal.

It was only after the break that they began to show glimpses of their true colours, Can wriggling through to force a fine one-handed save from De Gea at full stretch before the Spanish keeper delivered an even finer stop, flying through the air to tip Coutinho's curler wide.

A brilliant last-gasp challenge by Antonio Valencia deprived Firmino but United, for all their solidity, had only one effort on target and looked back ruefully on their best chance, a tame header across goal from Ibrahimovic after a great delivery from Paul Pogba.

(Reporting by Ian Chadband; Editing by Clare Fallon)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Winning start for Mourinho, Liverpool edge Arsenal

LONDON, United Kingdom -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored as Manchester United defeated Bournemouth 3-1 in Jose Mourinho's first Premier League game as manager on Sunday, while Liverpool edged Arsenal in a 4-3 thriller.

Juan Mata and captain Wayne Rooney were also on target at Bournemouth as United recorded a straightforward win that left them top of the table after the season's opening weekend.

Philippe Coutinho scored twice as Liverpool recovered from falling behind to Theo Walcott's goal at the Emirates Stadium, with Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane also on target for Jurgen Klopp's men.

"Eric Cantona was here at the best moment in his career. This guy is more than a player," Mourinho said of Ibrahimovic, who opened his United account with a low drive from 25 yards.

Ibrahimovic, a free signing from Paris Saint-Germain, has now scored on his debuts in the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

"For the next two seasons I think he can be phenomenal for the team and the Premier League," Mourinho added.

Ibrahimovic, 34, said: "It's important to start good. Being new to the league is not easy. Everything is new for me: my team-mates, the clubs, the environment. I just play my game."

The charismatic Swedish star was handed a competitive full debut at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium along with fellow new signing Eric Bailly.

United's 89 million pounds (105 million euros, $116 million) record signing Paul Pogba was unavailable due to suspension.

Mata, controversially brought on and then taken off by Mourinho during the 2-1 Community Shield win over Leicester City last weekend, started on the right flank in place of Jesse Lingard.

United's starting XI bristled with attacking menace, but it took a calamitous blunder by defender Simon Francis for the visitors to take the lead in the 40th minute.

His woefully under-hit back-pass gave Mata a free run on goal and although Artur Boruc saved the Spaniard's shot, the ball rebounded off Francis and into Mata's path, giving him an easy tap-in.

Rooney made it 2-0 just before the hour, heading home Anthony Martial's mishit volley from six yards.

- Emirates goal-fest -

Ibrahimovic opened his Premier League account in style five minutes later, steering a shot into the bottom-left corner from range.

On the touchline Mourinho celebrated effusively and Bournemouth's consolation, a rasping shot into the top-right corner by Adam Smith, could not take the smile off his face.

"We dominated the early stages, but you can't gift Manchester United goals, which we did," said Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.

Spectators at the Emirates Stadium were treated to a goal-fest as Arsene Wenger's injury-depleted Arsenal were beaten at home in their opening league fixture for the third time in four years.

Injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel, plus Laurent Koscielny's lack of match fitness, obliged Wenger to deploy Calum Chambers and new signing Rob Holding in an inexperienced centre-back pairing.

The hosts also lost Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi to injury in the second half.

Having previously seen his penalty pushed away by Simon Mignolet, Walcott atoned by drilling Arsenal into a 31st-minute lead.

But Coutinho equalised with a glorious free-kick in first-half stoppage time before making it 3-1 with a neat volley after Georginio Wijnaldum had teed up Lallana to put Liverpool ahead.

Mane, a close-season signing from Southampton, added a fourth for Liverpool with a slaloming run down the right followed by an emphatic left-foot finish.

Boos rained down from the Emirates stands and despite substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chambers replying for the hosts, Liverpool closed out their first away win over Arsenal since 2011.

"Scoring four goals is wonderful. Conceding three is the opposite of emotions," Klopp told journalists.

"It was hard work, but we deserved to win at the end."

Wenger said: "We played a very good first half and were unlucky to concede a goal just before half-time because the free-kick was very harsh. After that we paid for a lack of experience."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com