United Briefing: Maguire hails defensive display

Monday 18 January 2021 08:00

Harry Maguire has saluted Manchester United’s excellent defensive display against Liverpool and feels it showed there is strength in depth at the back.

The Reds kept a clean sheet at Anfield during the goalless stalemate to maintain our place at the summit of the Premier League table.

While Harry was delighted with the performance of the back four, including Victor Lindelof who returned from injury for the encounter, our skipper felt the solidity was a real team effort.

"It was a big defensive display,” he told us after the game. “Not just from the defenders and the goalkeeper, it was the midfielders, the forwards. They covered us and we looked solid. We didn't give them a big chance. It was a great defensive display.
Maguire proud of defensive display Video

Maguire proud of defensive display

Harry Maguire hails United's strength in depth and quality at the back after keeping Liverpool quiet...

“Victor has come back to the team in a big game with huge pressure and performed excellently. Credit to Vic, it shows the depth we've got at centre-half now with Eric [Bailly], who has been playing and doing really well.

“It's important, whoever plays, in the back-four, knows the team, knows their responsibilities and keep keeping clean sheets as that gives us the best chance of going on to win the games."

While Harry was disappointed to come away with just a point from a game he felt we should have won, the defender was delighted to extend our unbeaten league run away from home.

That’s 16 consecutive matches on our travels in which United have avoided defeat, a run which stretches back a year.

The skipper is also already targeting an extension to that record when we face a trip to Fulham in midweek.

"We wanted to win the game today but we didn’t, but we keep the momentum going of not losing, especially away from home,” said Maguire. 

“It's going to be a tough game [on Wednesday]. I've watched their recent games, Fulham, and they've got some great attacking players and they play nice football, so we know it's going to be tough.

“Every game in the Premier League is tough but we need to go there with the right mentality to go and win the game.

“We need to make sure we prepare, recover, get back on the training pitch and make sure we improve. As a group of players, we need to improve to be where we want to be.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY?

We’ll continue to reflect on Sunday’s draw at the start of a new week. Expect a quiz, Tunnel Insider and a few more articles to come your way throughout the morning and afternoon, as well as a round-up of all the major events happening at United this week.

In the evening, our Under-23s have a first match of 2021, away to Leicester City for a 19:00 GMT kick-off. It will be exactly a month since Neil Ryan’s men were last in action and we’ll be hoping to start the year off in the perfect manner, in front of the MUTV cameras.

Don’t forget to check out the latest episode of UTD Podcast as well, which drops at 17:00 GMT and stars Lee Martin.
Highlights: Liverpool 0 United 0 Video

Highlights: Liverpool 0 United 0

Watch the best bits from our important draw at Anfield, including some great defending and two big chances...

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?

As we’ve already mentioned, United drew 0-0 with Liverpool at Anfield. It was a tight, tense affair on Merseyside, one that we could have perhaps just nicked in the second half.

Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba were both denied by sprawling stops from Alisson, with David De Gea in the opposite goal rarely being called into action.

That result leaves us top of the Premier League table, three points ahead of Liverpool who drop to fourth.

Wins for Manchester City and Leicester City meant they leapfrogged Jurgen Klopp’s men in the table, although all three remain behind United.

Chelsea Women 2 United Women 1

 Article

Read all about the top-of-the-table clash as the Reds' unbeaten run in the WSL comes to an end.

Elsewhere on Sunday, United Women were also involved in a top-of-the-table encounter against Chelsea.Unfortunately, Casey Stoney’s side suffered a first loss of the season.

Lauren James grabbed a goal-of-the-season contender for the Reds, but her effort was cancelled out by goals from Pernille Harder and Fran Kirby.

The result leaves United Women second in the table, having won eight of our 11 games in the league so far in 2020/21.

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