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Wayne Rooney's 78th minute goal in Manchester United's 1-0 win over Liverpool was his side's first and only shot on target at Anfield.
The Manchester United captain smashed the ball into the back of the net from close range after reacting to Marouane Fellaini's header onto the Liverpool crossbar.
The victory was a vital one for Louis van Gaal, with reports prior to the game suggesting the Dutchman would be sacked if he failed to get a positive result from the game. The Manchester United manager may feel fortunate to have left with one considering his team's failings in front of goal, aside from Rooney's effort.
Whilst Liverpool mustered 19 shots and called David De Gea into action four times, Simon Mignolet was tested (and failed) just once. The goal for Manchester United was one of seven shots in total. Rooney had one other shot, meanwhile Anthony Martial twice fired off target and Ander Herrera, Matteo Darmian and Fellaini also missed.
Show all 22 1 /22Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Liverpool: Simon Mignolet 6 out of 10 Had precious little to do either side of the interval as Manchester United delivered one of their most impotent displays under Louis van Gaal. Not much the Belgian could do about the goal.
Getty
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Nathaniel Clyne 6 out of 10 Tried to gallop forwards at every opportunity and occasionally posed a threat for the Reds.
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings
2016 Getty Images
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Mamadou Sakho 6 out of 10 Occasionally calamitous but often resolute, the former Arsenal defender was rarely tested in front of his own goal. At sixes and sevens for Wayne Rooney’s goal.
2015 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Alberto Moreno 7 out of 10 Often used as an attacking force as well as a defensive lynchpin, the Spaniard held his line well and resisted the temptation to stray.
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Jordan Henderson 7 out of 10 Marshalled his midfield well in the opening 45 minutes but lost his way slightly in the second period as United, slowly, came back into it.
2016 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Lucas 7 out of 10 Delivered a couple of incisive passes to open United up in the first half and would have earned an assist but for his team-mates’ poor finishing.
2016 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Emre Can 7 out of 10 Represented Liverpool’s biggest threat on a number of occasions and showed the courage and optimism to try his luck from distance.
2016 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings James Milner 7 out of 10 Lacked composure in front of goal but regained it when under pressure on the ball in the middle of the park
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Roberto Firmino 6 out of 10 Continued his decent recent form without doing the primary job expected of a forward - scoring goals. The Reds suffered overall as a result.
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Adam Lallana 6 out of 10 Liable to going missing for large swathes of the match, the former Southampton man had a disjointed afternoon
2016 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Manchester United: David De Gea 8 out of 10 Rebuffed a series of long-range efforts to deny an increasingly frustrated Liverpool side from taking the lead. Kept his side in the game before the eventual winner.
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Ashley Young 5 out of 10 Injured and replaced by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson after an ineffective first-half display.
2016 Manchester United FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Chris Smalling 7 out 10 A commanding, if unremarkable, outing at Anfield keeps the England defender’s promising season ticking over nicely.
2016 Manchester United FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Daley Blind 7 out of 10 Occasionally a source of frustration at set-pieces, the Dutchman provided composure in possession of the ball.
2016 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Matteo Darmian 6 out of 10 Keen to maraud forwards whenever given licence to do so, the Italian sometimes leaves patches of open space behind him
2016 Manchester United FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Morgan Schneiderlin 7 out of 10 Kept the ball well in midfield as United made a sluggish start. Did the unglamorous jobs gladly - and well.
2016 Manchester United FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Marouane Fellaini7 out of 10 Cumbersome and lethargic to start with, the Belgian came to life in the latter stages to help his side get over the line.
2016 Manchester United FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Jesse Lingard 5 out of 10 Easy to forget the young forward was on the pitch at times. Perhaps a little fazed by the occasion, Lingard endeavoured endlessly but endured a tough afternoon. 5
2016 Liverpool FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Ander Herrera 6 out of 10 Had the guile and precision to cut Liverpool open but wasn’t given the opportunity, or the space, to do so by his team-mates.
2016 Manchester United FC
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Anthony Martial 7 out of 10 Non-existent in the first half, the young Frenchman became more of a nuisance as the clock ticked on.
2016 Getty Images
Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 player ratings Wayne Rooney 8 out of 10 Scored the winner as the England captain’s hot streak continues. Not even close to his performances of old in a United shirt but still did the business at the other end.
Rooney was delighted with his goal, saying after the match: "I scored the winning goal at Anfield, it has been a long time since that happened for me - my first year at United - so I will be a bit selfish today and enjoy that more than most."
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