Luke Shaw was the surprise name in Manchester United’s starting line up at Anfield.
His return from a minor injury saw him thrown into an unusual role as part of a back three.
Up against a strong Liverpool attack, Shaw was also set up to fail. But he didn’t.
While United lost the game 2-0, Shaw could leave Anfield with his head held high regarding his own performance.
Defensively sound
Shaw kept it simple and didn’t take any chances. He made 12 clearances, while Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelöf made 13 combined.
He made two interceptions and won one tackle and his performance only dipped when he tired late on.
He hauled Mohamed Salah down in the second half and was booked, and was withdrawn with cramp with five minutes to go. He certainly put the effort in and gave it his all.
Shaw has lost a lot of momentum this season and is no longer first choice at left-back due to Brandon William’s emergence.
Williams though has started the last five games in a row and will be rested soon, so Shaw’s performance was a positive.
Eric Bailly was back on the bench at Anfield so he will overtake Shaw if United line up with a back three again.
But for all the criticism Shaw has taken lately, this performance was a step in the right direction.
Positive comments on Shaw
Shaw often gets a lot of flak from United fans. There was plenty of praise for him despite the defeat…
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