Erik ten Hag gets first win as Manchester United boss as the Red Devils beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford | OneFootball

The battle of the underperforming Premier League giants saw Manchester United come out on top as they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford on Monday.

Both sides came into the game yet to record a league win this season, with United losing their first two matches and Liverpool playing out draws in theirs.

Something had to give, and goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford helped Erik ten Hag secure his first win as United boss despite a late surge of pressure from Liverpool after Mohamed Salah pulled one back for the Reds.

United have also ended an unwanted record with this win being their first against Liverpool in the league since March 2018.

Clashes between these two sides always promise to be a frantic and enthralling tie, and this one was no different.

Here are four things we learned as Ten Hag outwitted Jurgen Klopp at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United rise to the occasion as Ten Hag’s selections paid off

United were at their lowest point after a 4-0 humiliation at Brentford followed an opening day home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

While thousands of fans protested against the ownership of the Glazers before kick-off and the chants continued throughout the game, United supporters rallied behind a strong performance against Liverpool.

Ten Hag took the bold decision to drop Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo and was rewarded with a performance that lifted the mood around the club.

Jadon Sancho displayed exquisite control and composure to sit James Milner down and put United in front after 16 minutes.

Anthony Martial then played Marcus Rashford through on goal and the Englishman raced clear to beat Alisson eight minutes after the interval.

Salah was the architect of an intense final ten minutes after he scrambled in a header from Fabio Carvalho’s parried shot.

However, the Red Devils held on to get their much-needed confidence-boosting win, and get their campaign back on track.

Klopp needs midfield reinforcement

Liverpool’s midfield problems were on show as they struggled to assert themselves in a game that ran away from them.

Klopp had to call on Harvey Elliott, Jordan Henderson and the ageing James Milner, with Fabinho not fit enough to start. Naby Keita, Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones were also not in the squad due to injuries.

Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes ran the show for Ten Hag’s side as Liverpool were overrun in the middle of the park and looked like a team bereft of ideas going forward.

Klopp had initially dismissed the need to bring in a new midfielder this summer, but after watching his side crumble, the Reds may need to bring in at least one new midfielder.

Mohamed Salah is irresistible

Salah continued his unstoppable form against United when he pulled one back for the visitors after heading home a parried shot from David de Gea, but it was not enough to help his side steal a point away from home.

However, the Egyptian set a new record as he became the first Liverpool player in the club’s history to score ten goals against United in the Premier League.

Casemiro watched on from the stands as his new team ran away with the win

Casemiro has joined United from Real Madrid, but the Liverpool game came too soon for the Brazilian.

He was unveiled in front of the Stretford End before kick-off and received a heartwarming welcome from the United fans.

The 30-year-old veteran will be itching to don the red colours of United when they travel to St Mary’s to take on Southampton next weekend.

United dominated Liverpool, which is not often said when comparing both sides.

The players turned up and delivered in style, while Klopp will have to go back to the drawing board as his side continues their search for a first win of the season.

Liverpool were poor in the first half, where De Gea did not have a save to make.

They came alive after the break, but it was too little too late as they found themselves two goals down before the hour mark.

Ten Hag’s selection vindicated him, but this result cannot be a one-off performance.

It will boost the morale and confidence in the dressing room, but they need to perform consistently if they are to secure a top-four finish this season.