88 touches, 40 passes – Alan Shearer names Manchester United’s true unsung hero vs Liverpool

Alan Shearer took the time to praise Diogo Dalot as an unsung hero for Manchester United during their 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester United battled their way to a thrilling 2-2 draw against league leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, as Rúben Amorim’s side came from behind to earn a crucial point in a high-octane encounter.

United began the game with intent, looking to dictate play and stifle Liverpool’s attack. The first half saw moments of promise, with Rasmus Højlund going close, but neither side could find a breakthrough before the interval.

The second half started explosively for United. Lisandro Martínez latched onto a brilliant assist from Bruno Fernandes and rifled the ball past Alisson to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Liverpool, however, responded swiftly, as Cody Gakpo leveled the score with a composed finish just before the hour mark.

The match took another twist when Mohammed Salah converted a penalty after Matthijs de Ligt was penalised for handball, putting Liverpool ahead 2-1 with 20 minutes remaining. Refusing to accept defeat, Amorim made an attacking substitution, bringing on Alejandro Garnacho.

The young winger made an immediate impact, delivering a pinpoint cross for Amad Diallo, who calmly finished to bring United back on level terms with ten minutes to play. The closing moments were filled with end-to-end action, as both sides pushed for a winner, but neither could find the decisive touch.

The final whistle confirmed a well-earned draw, with United showcasing their determination and fighting spirit to claim a point at one of the toughest grounds in the league.

Shearer praises Dalot for performance vs Liverpool

Reviewing the game on BBC’s Match of the Day, former Premier League striker and regular pundit Alan Shearer wanted to highlight Diogo Dalot as an unsung hero.

Following the tie, the majority of praise was heaped on Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, and Kobbie Mainoo for their display in midfield. Still, Dalot was just as crucial for his battle against Trent Alexander-Arnold on Sunday afternoon.

“Trent has had so many impressive games this season, but today certainly wasn’t one of those, and Dalot got the better of him 99% of the time,” Shearer began while watching replays of the game. “His intention all afternoon was to go past him.

“Everything he did defensively, particularly going forward, was so positive. He always was thinking, ‘how am I going to hurt you by getting in behind?’ He’s going to win that individual battle.

“One against one, he knocked it past Trent. He felt so comfortable. It was a constant, this time with the outside of the right boot. I mean, that’s all you want as a forward, you know. You want someone to do that, to put balls into the box, and he did it all afternoon. Again, he goes past him. Again, I think that’s a great ball in, again with the left foot.”

Then, Shearer went on to highlight Dalot’s role off the ball as well as the player looking to press Liverpool’s defence, which triggered the rest of United’s team to close in on Arne Slot’s men.

“This is in the 88th minute. Look at him closing down. He’s the furthest man forward from Manchester United. And then they all follow him in, and then eventually they win the ball back. So many times that they went down that side and caused loads and loads of problems.

Finally, Shearer rounded off by praising Dalot’s statistics throughout the game, pointing towards an on-screen graphic below.

“You just have a look at the next stat that will show you,” Shearer continued. “That tells you how impressive he was. Touches in the opposition box, look, equal first. Crosses into the box, first. Possession one, equal. Just, he was fantastic, I thought.”

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.