David de gea the main man of the match

Fragile, lightweight and devoid of confidence, David de Gea's formative year at Manchester United offered little to suggest that he could evolve into a No.1 with a stature so imposing he could even rival Peter Schmeichel. The Great Dane has long been the benchmark for Old Trafford goalkeepers and, at last, United have a keeper not just filling his void, but stepping out of his shadow, too.



Louis van Gaal's side picked up their sixth consecutive win on Sunday, dispatching an injury and confidence hit Liverpool side who still seem to be reeling from both their recent Champions League exit and last season’s so-near-yet-so-far title challenge. The 3-0 scoreline might suggest a degree of control, but once again the Red Devils were indebted to De Gea.

The Spaniard was comfortably his side's best player on the day, his personal duel with the profligate Raheem Sterling ultimately determining the victor at Old Trafford. Just before Robin van Persie rolled the ball into an unmanned net for United's third goal, Liverpool had had seven shots on target compared to three for the hosts. But for De Gea, it would have been a rather more even contest.

That has been the story of United's winning run, a curious contrast between a leaky back-line totally dependant on their keeper and a ruthless attack. In fact, they have conceded 29 shots on target in their last six matches but managed just 24 of their own, while only against Crystal Palace and Hull City have they managed more efforts on target than their opponents