Bryan Mbeumo is quickly making himself a Manchester United favourite, and his goal at Anfield will go a long way towards cementing that status, but that wasn’t even his best moment in the game.
There is no doubt that Bryan Mbeumo’s goal after just 62 seconds set the tone for Man Utd and gave them something to hold on to in their 2-1 victory at Anfield.
It came from his qualities that have been described ad nauseam: his running in behind and ability to stretch defences.
However, the moment that showed his true class and importance to Ruben Amorim came in the 46th minute. He became a model example immediately.
Bryan Mbeumo’s brilliance against Liverpool
The minute is 46th, and Man Utd have done the impossible as they went into half-time at Anfield with a lead against Liverpool, a feat they last managed in the famous “Juanfield” game.
They win a free kick to keep the pressure on Liverpool and take the sting out of the second half, much like they did in the first.
However, an inexplicably bad free-kick leads to Liverpool getting the ball straight away, with at least nine United players out of position in Liverpool’s half.
Liverpool drive forward with the ball in plenty of space, but Luke Shaw, the deepest (and only!) defender when the free kick was being taken, gets the ball and wins the foul in United’s box.
Amidst all this chaos, the effort of Bryan Mbeumo was worth noting.
As one of the forward players, he took an extremely attacking position when the free-kick was being taken.
However, by the time Shaw won the foul, Mbeumo had busted a gut by launching into a full sprint with his head down to become the second-deepest defender in the makeshift backline.
Even if Shaw hadn’t won the foul, Mbeumo was there as the first line of defence to clear the ball away.
Mbeumo’s moment personified Ruben Amorim’s demand
It is notable that whenever Amorim is asked his thoughts about an attacker in good form, his first instinct is to praise their defensive work.
It’s clear that he wants full commitment from all his players in both phases of the game, and Mbeumo’s moment personified that demand.
Quality cannot always be taught, but the spirit, commitment, hard work, and attitude are non-negotiable intangibles, which Mbeumo proved he has plenty of.
His goalscoring alone makes him the first name on the teamsheet, but his defensive work makes him undroppable and borderline world-class.
When the most prolific attacker on the team works hard like that, it sets the tone for the whole team and leaves no room for excuses.
He’s leading by example. There is no doubt Amorim will be playing that clip back to his players.
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