Two turning points of Man United and Liverpool

A clear contrast between the two members of the "Big Six" group is gradually emerging, as Man United steps out of the spiral while Liverpool sinks deeper into difficulties.

Man United fans have probably never been as excited as they are now when witnessing their favorite team showing off their disciplined collective play, continuously creating positive results after a long period of suffering many scandals. Meanwhile, the reigning champion Liverpool showed a clear decline after the 9th round of the Premier League, not only not escaping the spiral but also sinking deeper into the weak zone.

The new look of Man United

Hosting an opponent who is always considered a "nemesis" (Brighton won 6 out of the last 7 matches against the "Red Devils" in the Premier League, before the trip to Old Trafford, they were also undefeated in 5 consecutive matches), Man United won in an emotional match. They almost controlled the game from start to finish, of course not counting the moments when the "Seagulls" rose up to shorten the gap.

Casemiro, along with two new recruits Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, scored consecutively to help Man United lead 3-0 after only 60 minutes. This is something that the "Red Devils" have not been able to do against their opponents for a long time, at least in the past 12 months - since Ruben Amorim took over the team.

There is a positive atmosphere at Old Trafford, a far cry from the gloom that surrounded United a few weeks ago. There is no longer talk of Ruben Amorim changing his 3-4-3 formation. United have made subtle adjustments and are no longer fixated on long goal kicks, although they are still playing a more direct style than before. Having struggled to build up attacks, United are now finding ways to get into the opposition half more quickly and easily.

Brighton narrowed the gap with two consecutive goals at the end of the match, but Man United still won, also by two goals. This "scenario" clearly shows two things. First of all, Man United has the ability to attack sharply and also has the depth to score many goals despite being in the process of rebuilding the squad. Besides, the inherent weakness is still exposed: Man United almost made it difficult for themselves when they played without concentration in the last 20 minutes, even though their ability to preserve the score had clearly improved.

However, the positive thing is that Man United are creating momentum in terms of spirit, cohesion between the lines and the ability to convert chances in attack. These are the factors that form the foundation for a revival that can be sustainable if maintained.

The fates of Man United (in bright shirt) and Liverpool are taking two different turns. (Photo: SBNATIONS)

Gloomy Liverpool

Meanwhile, Liverpool left the Gtech Community Stadium with a 2-3 defeat to Brentford. This defeat marked their 4th consecutive defeat in the Premier League, also recording 5 consecutive defeats for "The Kop" on away trips to London stadiums.

Liverpool's problem now is no longer just one or a few players or tactical system, but they are declining because they are following the same path as Man City last season. What is Liverpool facing? Experts point out countless reasons leading to the current situation: From Salah and Van Dijk losing form (especially after they were renewed), to Trent Alexander - Arnold leaving, Ibrahima Konate's uncertain future, Alexis Mac Allister's inexplicable decline...

In addition, we must mention the new recruits, although quality and expensive, are not enough to create a new look for Liverpool's playing style. Coach Arne Slot is determined to use Mohamed Salah, who is seriously out of form, and affirms that he does not "follow" the trend of playing long balls and relying on set pieces.

All of this has led to a decline in the current Liverpool squad, which has strayed far from the image of themselves that was once so strong under Jurgen Klopp. When an ambitious team like Liverpool cannot maintain consistency in defending and converting chances, and no longer maintains its identity, bad results like the loss to Brentford are likely to repeat themselves, making the race for the title more distant.

The Premier League is a long race, a few rounds of good or bad matches cannot decide the fate of the team for the whole season. However, after round 9, the message to fans is very clear: Man United have a basis for excitement as the collective play is gradually improving and confidence is returning. On the contrary, Liverpool need to act urgently to stop the decline before things become irreversible.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/hai-nga-re-cua-man-united-va-liverpool-196251026213857817.htm