“I thought they outplayed them,” said Sky Sports’ Gary Neville of the midfield battle against Liverpool at Anfield. “I thought United got control of the midfield, which I’ve not seen many Manchester United midfields do here.” Manuel Ugarte was key to that.
The Uruguayan has had a relatively underwhelming start to his Old Trafford career since joining from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee that could rise north of £50m – and not just because United are currently enduring their worst season of the Premier League era.
Erik ten Hag had to ease him in over fitness concerns and it has even taken time for him to show his best form under Ruben Amorim, a coach who knows him well from their time at Sporting. But he was excellent at Anfield, a combative presence throughout.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United
Data through Genius IQ shows that Ugarte made 12 sprinting pressures against Liverpool, defined as presses where the player exceeds 25 kilometres per hour. Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma with 13 was the only player to exceed that total over the weekend.
There was an intensity to Ugarte’s work that United have missed.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen found themselves steamrollered in the opening half an hour against Newcastle but Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo stood up to the challenge of facing Liverpool’s much-lauded midfield trio. As Amorim said afterwards, it was a mentality thing.
Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte made the most tackles in the draw at Liverpool
The pair made four tackles apiece, more than anyone else on the pitch. There were a couple of crafty fouls from Ugarte too, breaking up attacks without being booked. This was more like the player that supporters thought they were signing in the summer.
Manuel Ugarte’s passing in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool
His simple use of the ball was exactly what was called for, frustrating Liverpool, but there was also that hooked pass to Bruno Fernandes in the build-up to what would have been the winner had Harry Maguire been able to keep his stoppage-time shot down.
This was the first of the five occasions that Ugarte and Mainoo have started together that United have secured a positive result, so perhaps it is early to get too carried away. But with Ugarte only 23 and Mainoo still a teenager, their partnership in the middle clearly has huge potential.
Jimenez’s perfect penalty record
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Fulham and Ipswich
Raul Jimenez converted two penalties in Fulham’s 2-2 draw with Ipswich at Craven Cottage on Sunday, taking his tally of Premier League spot-kicks to 10. He is yet to miss, only the third player now in double figures to be able to boast a perfect penalty record.
Yaya Toure is one ahead on 11, while Cole Palmer currently holds the record with 12. Jimenez’s technique is masterful, strolling up to the ball, eyes on the goalkeeper as he then forces the ball into either side of the net, wrongfooting them just enough to score.
Raul Jimenez’s 10 Premier League penalties have all been converted
Four of the Mexican striker’s penalties have gone to the goalkeeper’s one side and six to the other. His conversions against Ipswich were typical of that unpredictability. The first went low to Christian Walton’s right, the second beat him high away to his left.
All of which only makes it more surprising that Jimenez was not even Fulham’s penalty taker at the start of this season. When he scored at Nottingham Forest in September, he was criticised by his manager because Andrea Pereira was the designated taker.
“It is clearly the fault of Raul,” said Fulham boss Marco Silva. “It is not going to happen again.” Three weeks later, Pereira took a penalty against Aston Villa with the score level, had his poor effort saved, and Fulham went on to lose the match 3-1 at Craven Cottage.
Jimenez is clearly the taker now. As he should have been all along.
Van Hecke’s progressive passing
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Brighton and Arsenal
Jan Paul van Hecke recently revealed that he felt the eyes of his Brighton team-mates on him when former boss Roberto De Zerbi described him as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. But his performances continue to highlight his rare quality.
It is his passing out from the back that marks Van Hecke out from the rest. In the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Saturday, he completed four passes that bypassed six or more opposition players, more than any other Premier League player over the weekend.
Jan Paul van Hecke’s range of passing in Brighton’s draw against Arsenal
That is not unusual. It is the eighth time he has done that this season. Again, more than any outfield player. He also holds the record this season for the most in a single game – 12 such passes bypassing six or more defenders in the win over Manchester City.
In total, Van Hecke’s passes have bypassed 2360 opponents in the Premier League this season, the most of any player.
Jan Paul van Hecke ranks top for total defenders bypassed this season
He ranks among the top 10 players in the Premier League for completed passes but the tracking data shows that those passes had a lower expected completion rate than the other nine men on the list. Van Hecke is making more difficult passes than is normal.
Against the Gunners, those passes tended to be big switches from right to left. But Van Hecke can also play those clever passes between the lines that cut through teams. The Netherlands international, now 24, is developing into an elite ball-playing central defender.