Manchester United took their first three points at Anfield in the Premier League since January 2016 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday.
The Red Devils had to wait nearly a decade to taste success in the red half of Merseyside, but it has come at a great time for Ruben Amorim and his team.
It took around a minute for the visitors to take the lead in the game, with summer signing Brian Mbeumo slotting the ball into the back of the net.
The Cameroon international has scored three goals in nine games since moving to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, and seems to have made a shrewd move into the team.
After missing out on European football last season and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, it was clear the club needed to invest in the quality of their squad.
The Red Devils prioritized quality over quantity in their summer transfer window, making only four significant additions to their squad.
Manchester United’s summer outfield acquisition rankings
Man United have acquired Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m, Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig for £66.4m, Brian Mbeumo from Brentford for £71m and goalkeeper Senne Ramens for £18.2m.
This means the Premier League giants have brought in three outfield players to strengthen their squad, all three of whom rank among the nine most expensive signings in the club’s history.
When ranking the three outfield players, it’s hard not to put Cunha at the bottom right now. It’s not because he’s failed or underperformed, it’s because he has yet to register a goal or assist for the club.
25/26 Manchester United’s highest xG in the Premier League | ||
|---|---|---|
player | xG | the goal |
Bruno Fernandes | 3.62 | 2 |
Benjamin Sesco | 2.7 | 2 |
Brian Mbeumo | 2.62 | 2 |
Amad Diallo | 1.67 | 0 |
Matheus Cunha | 1.53 | 0 |
Statistics by WhoScored | ||
As you can see from the table above, Sesco and Mbeumo have scored two Premier League goals for the Red Devils since their big-money move to Old Trafford, while Cunha is yet to score from 1.53xG.
Of the three attackers, Mbemo is also the only one to register an assist for the club. In the 2-0 win over Sunderland before the international break, he teed up Mason Mount in the opener.
We therefore currently rank the former Brentford star as the most likely of the three outfield signings, with Sesco second and Cunha third. However, there is plenty of time left for things to change as the season progresses and players settle into the team.
Having analyzed the signings of outfield players from the summer window, it is only natural to assess how Senne Lamence has started his United career. Because he already looks like he could become a Bruno Fernandes-type player.
Manchester United’s new Bruno Fernandes type player
When United spent £56m to sign the Portugal international in January 2020, many would not have expected him to get off to such a successful start.
According to Transfermarkt, Bruno has had a great start to life at Old Trafford, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists in 22 games in all competitions during his first six months in England.
According to Transfermarkt, the United captain has since played 299 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 100 goals and providing 87 assists, with his latest assist coming for Harry Maguire against Liverpool.
Maguire and Bruno combined to secure United’s three points on Sunday, but it was Lamence who Amorim has to thank for his performance between the sticks.
Just as Bruno made a lightning start in the club’s midfield in 2020, the Belgian shot-stopper made a lightning start in United’s goal.
Being the first-choice goalkeeper for a top team is an important position. Manchester City have Gianluigi Donnarumma. Liverpool have Alisson, but only if he is healthy. Real Madrid has Thibaut Courtois.
United have struggled with poor goalkeeping in recent seasons, including Altai Bindir and Andre Onana, but Lamence looks set to be a reliable presence in the net.
The Royal Antwerp signing stopped 2.19 goals and conceded one in his first two games, making some key stops against Liverpool and outperforming Maguire, who didn’t win a game on the ground according to Sofascore.
United’s central defender may have scored the winning goal, but his blushes were spared when Lamence brilliantly denied Alexander Isak in the first half, after the Swedish forward had scored for Maguire and Luke Shaw.
Lamence’s bright start to life at Old Trafford could be a sign of things to come from him, if his stats for the 2024/25 season, hailed as “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Krig, are anything to go by. Coincidentally, after Sunday’s performance, manager Kulig dubbed him the “new hero” at Old Trafford.
Top performing shot stopper in Premier League vs. Senne Ramens | |
|---|---|
24/25 season | Goal (xG) prevented |
Senne Ramens (Pro League) | +15.57 |
Jordan Pickford (Premier League) | +6.15 |
Mats Sells (Premier League) | +4.55 |
Mark Travers (Premier League) | +4.48 |
Ederson (Premier League) | +4.46 |
Dean Henderson (Premier League) | +3.14 |
Statistics by Sofascore | |
As you can see from the table above, the Belgian giants prevented an astonishing 15.57 goals per shot stop in the Pro League last season, which is around 9 more goals than any goalkeeper in the Premier League.
After just two appearances in the division, Ramens ranks as the third-best goalkeeper in the Premier League for goals saved, behind Dean Henderson and Robin Roofs, according to Sofascore.
This shows the immense impact the 23-year-old shot-stopper has had since making his debut against Sunderland, with impressive stops against the Black Cats and Liverpool potentially netting him four extra points.
United and Amorim will be hoping that Lamence continues to shine and continue to pick up points for United between the sticks, just as Bruno continued to pick up points with goals and assists after a strong start to 2020.
