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Published 15:40 10 Mar 2018 GMT
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Working in tandem with precise high balls up to Romelu Lukaku - an obvious tactic, though one which Liverpool failed to deal with throughout the game - United consistently created gaps in a Liverpool defence which, despite its reputation for the absurd, has been solid for most of the season.
This exploitation was highlighted by both of United's goals, as Rashford consistently took advantage of Alexander-Arnold's hesitation and lack of defensive discipline to twice punish the right-back.
In between their goals, United were extremely solid and, barring Eric Bailly's rather comedic own goal, were rarely seriously threatened by an away attack which was uncharacteristically lacking in flow.
While it was in part an off day for Liverpool, United can also take heart from just how successfully they prevented any attempts from their guests to build the sort of breathtaking attacks with which they have now become synonymous.
Above all, from start to finish, it was a case of a Mourinho team doing what a Mourinho team has always done best: exposing the weaknesses of the opposition and taking its chances when presented with them.
It was a performance of brutal efficiency, one with echoes of the best teams the Portuguese manager has coached, from his mid-2000s Chelsea side to his all-conquering Inter Milan, and proved that - even in 2018 - not all Mourinho masterclasses need to involve the infamous bus.Quiz: Name England and Croatia’s starting XIs from the 2018 World Cup semi-final
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