Paul Pogba’s late missed chance was ‘a huge moment in the season’ for Manchester United, says Roy Keane

The France international switched from the centre of the park to the right for the Anfield clash

Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane (Sky Sports)

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has picked out a late chance for Paul Pogba as potentially a season-defining one for the club, in their weekend 0-0 draw at Liverpool.

Despite a good start for the hosts, it was league leaders United had created the better openings to win the game late on, with both Pogba and Bruno Fernandes being denied by Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

The result leaves United three points ahead of the reigning champions, but neighbours Manchester City can go above them if they win their game in hand.

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Keane credited Pogba’s approach play in creating the opportunity to score what could have been the winning goal, as he did in midweek against Burnley, and says it would have been a huge pendulum swing in the Red Devils’ favour had the net bulged on Sunday.

"The big opportunity is the [Pogba] chance. You can tell by his reaction. His first touch is excellent, my goodness, he has to score. Go anywhere, across the goalkeeper, but not straight at him.

“Because his first touch was so good he's given himself that opportunity to go across the goalkeeper – a huge moment in the season for United. Credit to the goalkeeper, he's stood up, but that's the moment they might've been praying for before the game.”

On the game as a whole, Keane felt both sides could lay claim to deserving the points at different stages, but if anyone is to be a title-claiming hero for United, it has to come in those big moments in the crunch matches at the top.

"United were always going to be on the back foot for the first half-an-hour. They were sloppy in some of their play. You knew United would get the opportunities, it was a case of whether they could take them.

"You can't say Liverpool have played badly, but they've lost their spark, definitely, and when you get the opportunities like Pogba did, it's so disappointing.

“We've been giving Pogba a big build-up, we've been quick to criticise him but that was a moment for him to say he wants to be the main man, you've got to take that chance.”