Rashford caps Manchester United’s first win for Ten Hag against Liverpool

Manchester United reduced Liverpool’s heavy metal play to pliant putty in their hands via a staggering transformation after the humiliation of two consecutive losses.

How a team trounced 4-0 at Brentford last time out could outfight, out-skill and, most of all, out-run an opponent who defeated them 9-0 on aggregate last term is the definition of sport’s ability to invigorate.

On a night where the latest anti-Glazer protests had up to 10,000 marching to Old Trafford, United were a picture of bravery and quality from David de Gea in goal to Marcus Rashford at centre-forward, his second-half strike coming after Jadon Sancho had opened the scoring.

Liverpool were a ghost side; here but not really, allowed zero leeway to impose themselves because Erik ten Hag’s team did exactly this in a victory which means United leapfrog the Merseysiders, who are yet to enjoy a league victory this season.

Against a backdrop of “we want Glazers out” United threatened first. Slick interplay featuring Scott McTominay, Sancho and Bruno Fernandes had the ball zipping through the middle. Rashford motored on to it but when he unloaded Virgil van Dijk blocked.

Next, Rashford barged aside Trent Alexander-Arnold, the defender impeded him, and Christian Eriksen’s free-kick, taken on the edge of the area, earned a corner. It yielded nothing but United were in the contest, Liverpool had no foothold. Next Anthony Elanga, one of Ten Hag’s four changes, was slipped in by Fernandes and struck Alisson’s left post, drawing oohs from the crowd.

What followed was a sweet back-to-front sequence that finished with United scoring. Raphaël Varane made a superb intervention, taking the ball from Roberto Firmino’s toes in the area. Those in red moved upfield, before