Sky Sports pundit names Man United’s key man against Liverpool

It has been a rare occurrence that, going into a Manchester United vs Liverpool game, I don’t feel confident. This weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s men are rightly favoured for the Anfield showdown.

The game itself will obviously be a high-intensity war from first minute right through till last, with the pressure on Jose Mourinho to get his side back to winning ways.

Having only won two games from their last seven, United won’t be feeling confident, but former Red Devil, turned pundit, Danny Higginbotham, believes the Old Trafford club do have a secret weapon; Juan Mata.

Whenever the 30-year-old Spaniard players, United just look like a far better outfit. He’s the glue between midfield and attack, and his creativity always shines through.

“Unless Juan Mata is on the pitch, it is very difficult for United to see a player drift into that No 10 position, so I think Mata becomes vital when a) United play against teams who will sit back and b) against sides like Liverpool, where you will be giving up possession and looking to play on the counter-attack,” he wrote on the Sky Sports website.

“I think he’ll be told to get himself into an area, when United are defending, where he can’t be picked up. So when United pick the ball up, their first pass would be to Mata.  If they can find Mata free, all of a sudden they might have a [Jesse] Lingard, a [Marcus] Rashford, a [Anthony] Martial running off him down the channels.”

It comes as no surprise to many that, when Mata plays, United look like a far better side offensively. In this game, Mourinho’s men are likely going to see very little of the ball, so when they are on the attack,  it’s important that the quality is there.

When in possession, Mata is vastly underrated. His ability to pick out a pass, or make an intelligent run into the penalty area is just insanely good. Then you also have his ability from the deadball situation, which Mata is easily the best player in the squad at.

I guess his only real weakness is height and strength. Against a combative Liverpool midfield, there are times when Mata will be left frustrated. Football is all about risk-reward, and I firmly believe sticking the Spaniard in there is a gamble worth taking.