A few Man Utd players should feel lucky – and thankful to West Ham – to avoid joining three of their team-mates in the Premier League weekend’s worst XI.
With three at the back, here are the worst performers of the weekend, according to WhoScored ratings…
GK: David De Gea – 4.34
Conceded seven from eight shots on target and a Liverpool xG of 2.8 on a truly wretched day for the Manchester United keeper, who fell to 19th in this list as a result of his side’s surrender. It would be hard to directly blame De Gea for any of Liverpool’s many, many goals, but he looked to be beaten too easily on two, maybe three of them.
📉 Lowest rated individual performances in the Premier League this season:
🍒 Chris Mepham (4.13) vs 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥
🔲 Nick Pope (4.27) vs 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥
👹 David de Gea (4.34) vs 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥 pic.twitter.com/4TQ855xMCi— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 6, 2023
CB: Raphael Varane – 4.98
Varane is one of only three United players in this XI – a surprisingly low representation given the embarrassment involved. Seven of Erik ten Hag’s XI earned sub-six scores, with Varane the lowest of the outfield flops. The France defender actually ended with a 100% success rate from his three duels, which presumably were the only occasions he could get close to a Liverpool striker
CB: Angelo Ogbonna – 5.64
Like United, West Ham also had seven sub-six scores in their starting XI that was battered at Brighton. Ogbonna wasn’t necessarily at fault for any of the Seagulls’ four goals – he had been replaced by the time the fourth went in – and Ben Johnson was arguably more exposed, even if the centre-back was one of several defenders day-dreaming when the Hammers conceded from a corner for the first time this season.
CB: Joachim Andersen – 5.67
“The difference between the two teams today was the own goal,” said Patrick Vieira and, in terms of the scoreline at least, it’s hard to argue. Andersen was the scorer of that own goal, making a mess of a sliding interception, missing it with his right foot and beating his own keeper with his left knee, as Matty Cash’s cross looked set to find Ollie Watkins.
LWB: Emerson – 5.71
Brighton got plenty of joy down their right, with Emerson dribbled past three times while winning only two of seven duels. Going forward, he offered almost nothing, with neither of his crosses finding a team-mate – just two of the 12 occasions he lost possession. One of the many things the Hammers need this summer is a new left-back.
RWB: Antony – 5.43
Five crosses from Antony at Anfield – none successful. Five dribbles – none successful. Eleven out of 13 duels contested went the way of a Liverpool player. The United winger completed fewer passes (15) than the number of times he lost possession in 90 minutes. That he wasn’t dragged off felt more like a punishment than any tactical decision on Ten Hag’s part.
16 Conclusions on Liverpool 7 (SEVEN) Man Utd 0: Salah, Fernandes, Gakpo, Shaw, Nunez and…
CM: Declan Rice – 5.58
Rice appeared a broken man after getting the runaround from Brighton. “We were beaten by a better team,” said the Hammers skipper. “Brighton played us off the pitch and made life difficult. But that wasn’t a performance that was acceptable… to be out there was demoralising.” Rice failed to make a tackle and lost all but one of the five duels he engaged in.
CM: Cheick Doucoure – 4.41
The Palace midfielder earned the lowest rating of any outfielder this weekend after getting himself sent off in the defeat to Villa. The recklessness of his second caution – a swing and a miss in the direction of Calum Chambers’ shin – was compounded by the fact it came so soon after his first. Not that Doucoure made a difference when he was on the pitch; he didn’t win a tackle or a duel while committing four fouls as Palace’s winless run extended to nine games.
AM: Miguel Almiron – 5.80
After scoring eight in nine Premier League games up to Boxing Day, the Newcastle schemer has only one goal in eight since. Against City, Almiron managed not a shot, a cross or even a dribble. Still, he got to leave one on Jack Grealish, so it wasn’t a wasted afternoon.
FWD: Danny Ings – 5.79
Ings was barely feeding off scraps but the West Ham striker wasted what service he was given. He lost 11 duels; succeeded with none of four dribbles; completed a grand total of three passes in 90 minutes while losing possession 10 times from 19 touches.