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A Juan Mata brace was enough to seal a crucial away win for Louis Van Gaal's side over 10-man Liverpool. The visitors started the game on the front foot and got an early reward thanks to Mata's composed finish with his weaker foot from close range. Adam Lallana missed a glorious chance to equalise just before half-time and was subsequently substituted for Steven Gerrard.Playing in his final Northwest derby, Gerrard's stamp on Ander Herrera 35 seconds after coming on at half-time left his side with a mountain to climb. Mata made it even harder with a sublime scissor kick on the hour mark. Although Daniel Sturridge scored 10 minutes later, it was too little too late, as the Red Devils closed the game off and opened up a five-point gap above fifth placed Liverpool.Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Mata makes the difference
With Angel Di Maria back from his suspension, Mata would have been fretting nervously about whether he would retain his place. But Van Gaal kept faith in the Spaniard and reaped rich rewards.
Not only did the attacking midfielder score a brace, he also showed his versatility and ability to hold onto the ball under pressure. Because it was he who stood strong and kept possession in the second half, when several United players, Michael Carrick included, gave the ball away cheaply.
As for Di Maria, although he came on and had an assist to his name, he is still a long way away from the player who won Real Madrid their 10th European Cup last season.
#2 Emotions get the better of Liverpool
Few players understand the emotion involved in games between United and Liverpool better than Steven Gerrard. But it was he, playing in his final Northwest derby, who failed to control his emotions.
After a full-blooded tackle barely seconds earlier, the central midfielder's stamp on Herrera within a minute of coming on almost killed the game for the Reds. Even though he apologised for his actions after the game, his sending off made it even harder for his side to take anything from the game.
Although they tried their best, ultimately they came up short. In the end, they were lucky that referee Martin Atkinson blew his whistle when he did because Martin Skrtel would have seen red otherwise for his nasty tackle on David De Gea.
#3 United end Anfield blues in style
Manchester United's recent record at Anfield isn't great. They had won just once in their last six trips to Merseyside and with Liverpool in good form, it looked as though that bad run might continue. But the Red Devils made their intentions clear right from the start as they pressed the Reds high up the pitch.
The opening half hour of the game was arguably United's best away performance in recent memory. The way in which they held on to the ball and ran the home side ragged showed that an aura of confidence has enveloped around United's players.
Although the final score line doesn't reflect their dominance, they were hardly pushed by the home side. Were it not for some slack attacking play from Di Maria, they could have repeated last weekend's scoreline and maybe more.
#4 A perfect advert for the Premier League
With no English team left competing in Europe, all eyes were on Liverpool's game against United, to see if the country's two biggest clubs could help soothe the pain. And right on cue, the game turned out to have everything that has helped turn the Premier League into the most-profitable league in the world.
Passion, red cards, bad tackles, good refereeing, fantastic goals, end-to-end attacking football and pure emotion, you name it, the game had it all.
But at the end of it all, you can't help but feel that United's performance against the Reds, both against 10-men and 11 showed that perhaps the side most equipped for European football didn't even qualify and that is a testament to the competitiveness of the league.
#5 United peaking at the perfect time
Although United have been in the top four for the majority of the last few months, nobody seemed to be very convinced by their performances. While they were getting the job done, it never quite looked as though they were playing well and winning comfortably.
But last week's 3-0 defeat of Spurs changed all of that and this win at Anfield, only their second since 2009 at the home of their fierce rivals, shows that the Red Devils are peaking at the perfect time.
With games against Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon, Van Gaal's side are showing that they have what it takes to not only finish in the top four but perhaps even challenge City for second place.
