Magic Moment: Aaron’s double tackle

Prior to football’s hiatus, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Reds had won five of our last six games in all competitions, were pushing for a Champions League spot and were still fighting in two cup competitions.

There are several reasons behind our impressive form before the break, but one undoubted factor was our well-organised and compact backline. In fact, in our last 11 games in all competitions, United have kept nine clean sheets and conceded just twice in that prolonged period.

When sides put together a string of consistent performances such as this, it’s not luck, it’s no coincidence, nor is it merely a temporary run of form. No, these stats are the result of countless hours of hard work, tactical discipline and skill.

In many ways, no one demonstrates this better than full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Since joining from Crystal Palace last summer, Aaron has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and consistent right-backs in the Premier League.

“He's one of the best one v one defenders I've ever seen,” Ole commented on the 22-year-old in February, a month before Sky Sports presenter Jaime Carragher suggested Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola should deploy Raheem Sterling on the opposite flank next time he faces United, in order to avoid a battle with Wan-Bissaka.

"Sterling is perhaps one of the three best wide left players in the world, but Wan-Bissaka is saying: 'Bring it on’,” the former Liverpool man said earlier this year. “I don't think anybody would be able to get the better of him one v one.”

It’s actually quite unusual to see a modern full-back more interested in what’s happening behind him, rather than rampaging down the flank to join in with attacks. Not that Aaron isn’t capable of this - we saw that with his excellent crossing against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, while, during the previously mentioned clash with Manchester City, Aaron spent much of the afternoon marauding through the opposition’s half.

But, it’s defensively where our no.29’s best assets lie. In particular, his ranging and perfectly timed tackles, which have earned him the nickname: ‘The Spider’.

We’ve seen plenty of evidence of this during the season, but one two-minute spell really encapsulates Aaron’s incredible defensive acumen: the double tackle against Everton’s Richarlison.

During this mid-December clash, the Reds had battled from a goal down and were on level terms thanks to Mason Greenwood’s excellent finish 13 minutes from time.

As the final moments of the clash became more and more stretched, both sides were hoping to capitalise on any defensive lapses and grab a decisive goal.

In the 83rd minute, with United pushing forward, Everton launched a counterattack as their most-dangerous attacking threat stepped inside the box. Richarlison set himself, was about to shoot, and then… enter ‘The Spider’. From the most improbable angle, Aaron managed to get a toe on the ball and nick it away from the bemused Brazilian.

Thirty seconds later and Everton are once again on the attack. In an almost identical move, Richarlison comes inside on his right foot, enters the box, lines up to shoot, and then… he's denied by Wan-Bissaka once again. If Old Trafford roared at the first challenge, the second cheer could have been heard in Aaron’s native Croydon.

It wasn’t just the timing of these tackles that amazed supporters, but also Wan-Bissaka’s confidence in himself to perfectly execute them. One centimetre out, either time, and referee Michael Oliver would have had no choice but to point to the spot.

The double challenge on Richarlison transpired in just one of the superb 90 minutes the full-back enjoyed that December afternoon. Often as part of our matchday roles, we make note of every individual piece of excellence on the field. Against Everton, Aaron was responsible for 12 of the 41 logged events, while also supplying over 75 per cent of our tackles in the game.

It was something of an off performance that day from the Reds, and without Aaron, the Toffees may well have headed back to Merseyside with all of the spoils.

Thankfully, our right-back had other plans.