Gary Neville lauds Manchester United’s seven ‘match-winners’ for keeping pace with Liverpool

The Red Devils are level on points with Premier League champions Liverpool at the top of the table

Gary Neville believes Manchester United are able to compete at the top of the Premier League due to their “match-winners” after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side moved level on points with champions Liverpool.

The Red Devils are only second on goal difference after 16 games following their 2-1 victory over Aston Villa thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ penalty.

And United face a testing two-week spell, with Manchester City up first in the Carabao Cup semi-final, Watford at home are next in the FA Cup, before trips to Burnley and then a tough trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool.

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And while Neville is excited to see Solskjaer’s side at the home of the champions, but maintains his former side are a “work in progress”. 

"It was a big, big win for United," he said on The Gary Neville Podcast. "I'm so looking forward to that [Liverpool game]. Not because I'm here thinking United can go to Anfield and win, but because United have become competitive out of nowhere.

"If you'd have said at the start of the season, or even five weeks ago, that United would be level with Liverpool, I'd have said no chance, that can't happen.

"That shows how unusual this season is. What Manchester United have is a lot of match-winners - Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford... Game-changers.

"They do it in moments, and they don't always have to be playing well when you have those players on the pitch. The performances are getting better, it's a work in progress, it's not by any stretch the finished article. At times in games they mesmerise you for 10 minutes, and then can turn into a nightmare for 10 minutes.

“But there's confidence building, something is growing, there's a spirit at the end of the game with the players celebrating was nice to see.”